Dr Steele to OR 50!
by LillyMer27
Summary: Ana is a successful doctor with an interesting past. She meets Christian after he donates money to her research and they have an immediate connection. The only problem is, will Ana be able to accept all of Christian's shades? Especially after her last relationship. The story follows our favorite couple through life's ups and downs. Sightly OOC and HEA.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my first ever fanfiction so I hope you all enjoy it. I will try to update every two weeks because I have school at the moment. Please comment! I would love to hear your thoughts or ideas. This story will follow the FSOG storyline, but with my own twists. I'm going to shut up now and let you read. Enjoy!**

**-Lily**

Beep! Beep!

I open my eyes slightly and then immediately close them again. I groan and sit up in bed. Ugh! I look at my pager: 911 OR 3. I sigh, I just wanted some sleep. I haven't slept in two days.

I run out of the on call room and in the direction of the nurse's station. As I run by one of the nurses and she holds up three fingers. I give her a grateful smile and continue running towards the OR's. I see OR three and push in. I see Dr. Bailey.

"What is it?" I ask, trying to catch my breath after running all the way across the hospital. I walk toward the sinks and grab some soap and start scrubbing. Dr. Bailey comes behind me and ties the surgical mask around my mouth and nose. "Thanks," I say.

"No problem. The patient is a 28 year old male with a knife stuck right behind his ear," she says, shaking her head.

I stop scrubbing and stare at her. "What?" I ask shocked.

"My exact reaction. The scans and X-Rays have already been done, and luckily for him the knife didn't go deep enough to cause any real problems. You need to get it out without hurting him. He will be awake, to make sure that the knife didn't do any real damage. The only thing that might cause any problems is the risk of bleeding in Boca's area. So keep him talking," she explains.

"Wait? I'm doing this on my own?" I ask excited.

"Yes, I'm just going to be the observer. You'll do amazing; if anything goes wrong I'll step in," she says confidently.

I finish scrubbing and dry my hands. I walk into the OR and the nurse puts the gown and gloves on me. I walk towards the patient who is lying on his side, covered in blue sanitized towels. His head is propped up and the knife is visible. His hair has already been shaved and the area around the knife is sanitized.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Steele, I'll be your surgeon. I'm going to set this knife out of your head and you'll be good as new," I say, trying to keep from laughing.

"Hey, Doc. I'm Josh. You can laugh if you want. It's pretty funny," he says.

"How did it happen? I'm assuming that there is a pretty epic story behind this," I say as I get behind him and get my first good look at the knife. It doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. I'll just have to open him up some more, cut the part of the scull where the knife is located, and gently take it out. Then I have to check to see if there is any bleeding then I'll put in a metal plate cover the hole and close him up.

"My friends and I were trying to hit an apple off of each others heads and I walked through at the wrong time. I have a video if you want to see, cutie," he says. I can hear the smile in his voice.

"That's okay," I say, "Scalpel," I tell the nurse. "Okay let's do this," I say.

"Oh come on, babe, you have to see it," he insists.

"That's Dr. Babe to you," I say jokingly, "but why would you do such a stupid thing?" I ask.

"Believe it or not, Doc, this isn't the stupid thing I've ever done." And with that he's off. He tells me about all the dumb things he has done in his life, and boy that's a lot. Once I finished I put him to sleep and he is taken to the ICU.

"Good job, Ana!" says.

"I got lucky, it didn't damage anything. Now all I need is to do is the paperwork, then I'll off tomorrow," I say.

I walk to my office and fill out the copious amounts of paperwork that needs to be done. I just start putting away when I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I say. Dr. Trevelyan-Grey walks in.

"Hello, darling," she says in her sweet motherly tone. She looks implacable, as always. She's wearing a grey dress that hugs her curves and her sandy hair is pulled back in an elegant French twist. She has her hands in the pockets of the white lab coat.

"Hey, Grace," I say. "What can I say do for you?" I ask.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come over to dinner tonight, you haven't left the hospital in three days. Come eat with us then Carrick will drive you home," she says sweetly.

"I don't know, I have laundry and I need to call my parents and-"

"Oh come on, you can do all of that tomorrow. Carrick and Elliot have been asking about you," she says teasingly.

"Oh joy," I respond sarcastically.

"Please darling. We get so lonely; I mean Elliot is great, but Mia is in Paris and Christian is always busy," she pleads.

"So I'm your last choice?" I say in mock offense.

"Yes! Now come on," she laughs.

"Fine, Fine," I give in. I begin to pack all my stuff and we walk out of my office. We head out of her car. She stops of a beautiful BMW.

"This is new," I remark.

"Christian got it for me on mother's day," she says proudly. Every time she talks about her son, Christian, her eyes soften. I've never met him, but it is easy to see how much she loves him.

"Oh the infamous, mysterious Christian," I say chuckling.

"Oh yeah, you've never met him. His job is very demanding," she says sadly.

"Dr. Steele? !" I hear someone calling. I turn to see Dr. Cole, the chief of surgery rushing towards me.

"Hello, , what can I do for you?" I asked.

"Thank god I caught you before you left. You know the huge grant we got from the brain mapping research you're doing? I'm going to need you to go and personally thank the sponsor. You know how those rich bastards can get if you don't kiss their asses," he says chuckling at his own joke.

I turn to roll my eyes at Grace but I realize that she has gotten in the car to give and I some privacy. "No problem," I say.

"Great, here is the address and I have made an appointment at 10 o'clock. Also if you could ask him to come to our fundraiser that would be greatly appreciated," he says and hands me an invitation.

"No problem. Have a great night, ," I say. He turns and leaves, and I get into the passenger seat of Graces car.

"What was that about?" she asks.

"I have to go thank some donor and invite him to the fundraiser," I say, "well so much for a relaxing day."

"It won't take long; 10-20 minutes tops, then you can go home and do laundry," she teases.

"Funny." I roll my eyes.

"Now what would you like for dinner, darling? I'll call Gretchen and have her begin," she says.

"How about we call the pizza place on exit 12 and pick up a few boxes and have a casual dinner and a movie," I say.

"Sounds like a plan," she says. She calls the pizza place and puts our order in just as we exit Seattle.

We fall into easy conversation; she asks about my parents. Her and my mother have become very close in the short time that they have known each other. My Mom is grateful to Grace for taking care of me. I ask her about her parents. We keep the easy conversation until we pull up to the pizza place. Since we called ahead we were only there for a few minutes. We get back in the car with four huge boxes of pizza and it takes everything in me not to eat it on the way. Thankfully Bellevue is close and we make it to the house fairly quickly.

Well house isn't the right word for it, it's huge and breathtaking. The house is a modern style home with lots of windows and wood paneling on the outside. The driveway is newly paved and it goes up to the two door garage tucked into the side of the house. Grace stops right by the front door for me to get out. I get out carefully, my balance is compromised after almost 36 hours without sleep; I might actually cry if drop the pizza.

I walk carefully along the stone walkway that leads to the front entrance. Once I get to the door I'm faced with a dilemma. How am I going to open this damn door? I turn to the side and reach my hand over a little, trying not the drop the pizzas. Just as my hand makes contact with the doorknob it is pulled away from me. I lose my balance and the pizza boxes start to tilt. Thankfully they are caught by Elliot who caused the accident in the first place.

"Hey, careful, sweet thing'. Some of us are hungry," he teases.

"I was careful, you ass. You're the one that opened the door," I yell back at him, a little harsher then I wanted.

"Sorry, babe," he says apologetically. He balances the pizza boxes in one hand then stretches his arm around me. He pulls me in and gives me an awkward one arm hug and kisses the top of my head. "We've missed you at the site, no one brings us cookies anymore," he says sadly.

"How about I bring you guys some cookies tomorrow after my meeting. Just text me the address," I say.

He nods, and finally seems content. We walk into the home theater and put on a movie and sit and enjoy each other's company.

At 10 O'clock I decide to go home. Elliot is working in the morning so he gives me a ride. We chat the whole way back to the city. Elliot is amazing; he makes me laugh like no one else can. I've never had a brother but since I met him he fills the position to a "T".

He stops in front of my building, "Goodnight, Ell," I tell him.

"Nigh, sweet stuff," he says with a wink.

I get out of the call and run into the tall, modern building. The door man James nods politely and holds the door open for me. I walk through the lobby and pick up my mail then head to the elevator.

I'm a firm believer that if you keep believe keep pressing the button that it will come faster. Once the elevator comes I get in and notice that and her tiny rat of a dog, Mr. Pepsi.

"Hello, Mrs. Vanderwillson," I say politely.

She gives me a fake smile and says, "Hello, Miss Steele. Were you out on a date?"

I force a smile on my face. "No, I had dinner with some friends," I say, trying to keep my voice even.

"Well, darling, you should really start thinking about dating. Your clock is ticking," she says in a sickly sweet voice.

Just before I lose it the elevator stops and I rush out. I despise the people in this building. They are all pretensions, stuck up, rich people. The only reason I'm here is because it's so close the hospital.

I walk down the hallway until I see apartment 4-B. I open the door and immediately I relax. My apartment is my sanctuary. I make it a point to keep everything cool and relaxed. The walls are a soft pale blue in the entryway. There's a cute side table and hanger on the left side of the door for my coat. My John-Richard Collection "Marissa" mirrored console side table holds the shoes that I wear most often. There is a cute John-Richard Collection curled-rim bowl on it to hold all of my keys, sunglasses, act. I'm a huge fan of John-Richard.

I walk along the short hallway until I reach the kitchen. The short hallway ends right as the kitchen begins. My favorite part of the apartment is the kitchen. It is a huge kitchen with an island in the middle. The kitchen cabinets are white wood but the walls are a bright blue. I have stainless steel appliances; on the handle of the oven, dishwasher and microwave I've hung colorful towels. On the island there are three Mackenzie-Childs flower market cookie jars, full of candy and cookies; they add to the colorful theme of the kitchen. The stove is on the island and there is a bright green tea kettle. The wall alongside the kitchen is all glass and it gives me a spectacular view of Seattle.

I walk over to the wine cooler, which is right next to the dish washer and pull out my favorite bottle, Marcassin Estate Pinot Noir. I reach up for the glasses and pour myself some wine. I walk around the kitchen island and head to the living room. The dining room is visible from the kitchen; there are two steps leading into the dining room, the part of the dining room that holds the table is not on the same level as the rest of the apartment.

Walking past the dining room I go into the living room, which is connected to the dining room. The living room is a pale blue color. The Candice Olson Gloria couch is off white with blue decorative couches. There is an antique bookshelf behind the couch, along with a table that teaches the length of the couch with pictures and candles artfully placed on it. The couch is facing a state of the art entertainment center, with a huge flat screen. I have no clue why I bought it, I rarely ever have time to watch TV.

There is an antique coffee table in front of the couch. On top of the coffee table a huge bowl, similar to the one in the hallway holds a bunch of rolled up manuscripts. There are also two huge comfortable chairs on either side of the coffee table. One of the chairs is blue with a white patter and white cushions while the other is white with a blue pattern and blue cushions. The chairs are facing the glass wall of the living room, which has a spectacular view of Seattle.

I sit on the blue chair and pick up the magazine that is on the table. I slowly sip my wine and flip through the magazine. I look up at around 11:30 and decide that it's time to go to bed.

I walk into my room and go into the ensued. I quickly shower and get into bed.

The blinding sun wakes me up. I groan and look at the alarm clock. Its only 8 o'clock so I have time for a quick jog before I have to go to the appointment. I put on my workout clothes and head down stairs. The building has a state of the art co-ed gym, which makes exercising much easier.

After running on the treadmill for 45 minutes I get off and head back up to my apartment. I take a quick shower and get dressed.

I decide on some dark was skinny jeans and light blue bottom down and a blazer. I grab my black Louboutin stilettos and matching purse and put my hair in a ponytail to tame it. My brown, curly locks come all the way to my back; I should probably get a haircut soon.

The building is not far from where I live so I decide to just walk. It's a beautiful, sunny day and I'm not going to waste the opportunity. I reach the 30 story glass building with GEH written across the top. Suddenly I get nervous; I have nothing prepared. I don't even know this guy's name. All I know is that he's some hotshot CEO. I really should have prepared more.

_You're most likely going to embarrass yourself, _my subconscious snares at me.

Oh great, this again. My annoying, bossy, bitchy subconscious. She shows up every time I get nervous or angry.

I take a few deep breaths and walk into the building. _Let's get this over with._

**I hope you enjoyed that. I had a ton of fun writing the chapter and I hope you had I lot of fun reading it. Please let me know if you noticed any mistakes. I'm a student so it may be a little hard for me to update regularly, but I will try to keep it the updates close together. Next chapter Ana meets Christian. **

**-Lily**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Some dialogue was taken from Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L James. All characters belong to her. **

**Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for your amazing comments. I was not expecting so many people to read and comment. I apologize for the errors, I wasn't as careful with editing as I should have been. I got a beta reader so there shouldn't be any more mistakes. Also about the first title: I apologize to those that were offended. I'm fairly new to Fanfiction and I had no idea that there was a story with the exact same name. I meant no disrespect to bronzegoddess. I changed the name as soon as it was pointed out. **

**I will continue to update every other week. I'm very busy with school so it's difficult to keep up with a story. But I will try my hardest to update every other Tuesday. Thank you so much to those who have read and those who are going to read. Please feel free to let me know what you think. Or if you have any questions; I will be more than happy to clear it up. I try to respond to every comment so for those who come in as guests I won't be able to reply to your comments. Alright, enough on my chatter. Onto the story! Ana and Christian meet! **

**-Lily**

I walk into the huge, glass building. The lobby is minimalistic; white sandstone from floor the ceiling. The huge open space has a sitting area with black leather chairs and glass tables in front of a sandstone receptionist desk. I walk up to a well groomed, gorgeous blond secretary. "Hello, I'm Dr. Steele from WSU Medical Center. I have a 10:30 appointment," I inform her.

She looks up. "Hold on one second, Dr. Steele," she says. She turns back to her computer and a few seconds later she looks back at me. "Just go to the elevators and head up to the 30th floor," she says and hands me a pass with "Visitor" written on it.

I thank her and walk to the elevators, the ride up to the 30th floor is smooth. Once the doors open I step out into a smaller scale replica of the lobby downstairs. I walk over to the sandstone desk where another pretty, blonde, well groomed, secretary is working.

She looks up. "Hello, Dr. Steele, I'm Andrea, Mr. Grey's assistant. He is in a meeting right now. If you could just wait a few minutes. Would you like some coffee? Water? Tea?" she asks efficiently.

"No, thank you," I say and walk over to the little waiting area. This whole building is cold and minimalistic. Everything is black and white and clinical; nothing is personal. I hear the clicking of heels and see a pretty, blonde, well groomed woman. She walks over to Andrea and sits at the computer. Another blonde secretary. Does this man only hire pretty, blonde women? I don't really think that's legal. He's probably sleeping with them.

"Golf this week, Grey?" a voice says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I turn towards the sound and see a handsome, dark-skinned man with dreadlocks. He is wearing a well fitted grey suit that shows off his toned body. He doesn't look like he belongs here. _He is pretty cute_, I think to myself. It's been so long since I've seen a man that's even remotely handsome. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

The man walks out of the office, laughing to some unheard response. He turns and greet us. "Hello, Ladies," he says and strides confidently towards the elevators.

"Mr. Grey will see you know," Andrea says, "just walk right in, no need to knock."

I get up, straighten myself and walk towards the doors. I push it open and start to walk in. Just then my heel gets stuck on something and I feel myself launch forward. My heart skips I beat, _I'm going to face plant in front of a billionaire_, I think to myself. I feel a hand grab my arm, a current rushes through my body, but I ignore it. I'm more focused on my relief. The relief is short lived, though, quickly replaced by embarrassment. Well, so much for a good first impression. This man donates millions of dollars to a hospital where the surgeons can't even walk properly.

"Are you alright, Miss?" a deep, sexy, masculine voice asks, pulling me out of my self- pity. That is the sexiest voice I have ever heard, every muscle south of my waist clenches.

"Um… yes, I'm alright. Thank you, my heel got stuck. I guess that's what I get for wanting to dress up. I'm Dr. Anastasia Steele, by the way, but you can call me Ana." I stop talking realizing that I'm babbling like an idiot. I look up from the floor, my eyes run over Mr. Grey's body. He's dressed in a dark, navy blue, pinstriped suit. The pants hang of his hips in a way that makes me want to just jump him. His white button down hugs his body and shows off his fit chest and arms. When my gaze finally reaches his face my heart stops. He has the face of a Greek god. An angular jaw line, and sculpted, full, pouty lips, his coppery hair flops onto his forehead. But what catches my attention are his stormy gray eyes; looking into them I feel lost. His face has a cool, calm, guarded, confidence domineer; but his eyes tell a different story, I just don't know what it is.

Mr. Grey looks away, most likely because my intense gaze scared him.

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Steele, I'm Christian Grey. Please have a seat," he says. He lets go of my arm and walks around his desk to sit down. I do as I'm told and sit on one of the black, leather chairs opposite his.

He stares at me, analyzing my every move, with a strange, unknown look in his eyes. I start to get uncomfortable so I look away. I look around his enormous office, his dark, wooden desk sits front of a floor to ceiling window; it matches the coffee table by the L-shaped white leather couch. This whole place is black and white, just like the rest of the building. Except for the wall by the door. Thirty-six small painting are arranged into a square. They are intriguing; a series of objects, painted so carefully that they look real.

"An Irish artist. Toulon," Mr. Grey says.

"They are beautiful. Raising the ordinary to extraordinary," I say turning back to look at him.

"I couldn't agree more, Doctor," he answers in a way that makes me blush.

"Okay, enough about art. I'm here on behalf of WSU Medical Center to thank you on your generous donation to our neurology department," I say.

"No need to thank me. I have a lot of money, so the donation won't be missed," he says arrogantly.

What a cocky thing to say. A simple 'you're welcome' would have sufficed. He's probably some spoiled rich kid who's been sheltered his whole life. His parents most likely bought him a company as a birthday gift for his 21st birthday; now he thinks he's all that. "You are very young. If you don't me asking, how did you become so successful?"

"I'm a self-made man, Dr. Steele. Business is all about people. I'm very good at reading people. I know how they think, what makes them flourish, what doesn't; what inspires them, what incentivizes them." He pauses and fixes me with his gray stare. "I am successful because I believe that to achieve success in any scheme, one has to make oneself master of that scheme, know it inside and out; every detail," he finishes.

"Maybe you've just been lucky," I taunt him. The arrogant act gets old quickly.

He glares at me for a few seconds, then composes himself again. "It has nothing to do with luck, Dr. Steele. You are a surgeon, am I right?" he asks.

"Yes," I respond quickly, wanting to know where he is heading with this.

"Before you go into the operating room, you research the procedure, right?" he asks.

"Yes…" I answer.

"You must know exactly what you're doing. Which place to make the incision. What is healthy and what needs to be cut. Am I right?" he asks, again.

"Yes," I reply, again. I'm really starting to get frustrated. _Get to the point. _

"That is exactly what I do. When I acquire a new company I need to know what to cut, what is helping the company and I need to know what to save. It has nothing to do with luck. It is about skill and hard work. If we only count on luck, my business would fail and your patients would die," he finishes with a smug look on his face. He knows he won this and he's not trying to hide it.

"It seems to me that you are a control freak," I snap back.

He runs his fingers through his disheveled hair and leans forward. "I exude control in all things, Dr. Steele," he says, his voice deepens and his eyes get darker. I look down and blush. I can't help but think that there is a double meaning to what he just said.

"So, is that your philosophy? Control in all things?" I tease, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't have a philosophy per se, maybe a guideline principle. Carnegie's: 'A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of everything else which he is justly entitled.' I'm very singular, driven. I like control of myself and those around me."

"So not only do you like control, you like to posses things?" I ask. I hope I'm not pushing him too much.

"I want to deserve things. I'm in the business that I'm in because it allows me to have control. I like to build things because I like to know how they work. What makes them tick, how to construct and deconstruct. It gives me power, and control that I can use for better things," He explains.

"Like?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"I like to build ships," he states matter of fact, then smiles a breathtaking, almost childlike smile. "Ships carry things, things like food around the world."

"You invest in agriculture as well?" I ask. _What can't this man do?_

"We can't eat money, Dr. Steele. There are too many people on the planet who don't have enough to eat."

"That sounds like your heart talking; not facts and numbers."

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, but never reaches his eyes, and he looks at me appraisingly. "Maybe. Though some say I don't have a heart." His expression darkens.

"With all due respect, Sir, if you weren't such a control freak maybe they would think otherwise," I smirk up at him.

A look of anger flashes on his beautiful face. _I better back off_, I think to myself. He looks extremely intimidating. He runs his fingers through his hair again; he seems to do this when he's agitated. His nostrils flare and he takes a deep breath, probably trying to compose himself. All the while his strong gaze still holds mine. A cold sweat breaks out on the nap of my neck. He opens his mouth to say something, when we hear a knock on the door. I take this chance to finally escape his hypnotic gaze.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Grey, but your next appointment will be here in 2 minutes," Andrea says timidly.

"We are not done here, Andrea. Cancel it!" he snaps. She hesitates, the look of confusion on her face is identical to mine.

"Is that a problem?" he demands, his voice growing harsher. He raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her, daring her to object.

"No…Not at all, Sir," she says, blushing. At least now I know it's not just me he intimidates. She quickly turns and closes the door behind her.

He turns back to me. "Now where were we?"

I look at the clock on my phone and realize that it is 11 o'clock. "I should really leave. You don't need to cancel your appointment, Sir. I don't want to interfere," I tell him. I didn't realize until now that we have been talking for so long.

"As I said before, Dr. Steele, we are not finished yet," he insists. He says this in a polite manner but I can't help but feel like there is a sexual undertone. _Get a grip, Ana, you have to be professional; humor him then get out as soon as possible,_ I tell myself. "Now where were we?" he asks again, this time a little more demanding.

"We were discussing your control freak tendencies," I say trying to lighten the mood. I look at him waiting for at least a smile, but nothing. "Do you ever relax?" I ask.

He looks at me and tilts his head sideways, his eyebrows scrunch together in an adorable way.

"What do you do outside of work?" I clarify.

"I have very varied interests, Dr. Steele." A seductive smile plays on his lips. "Very varied," he repeats, causing me to blush and bite my lower lip. His gaze never leaves mine and his eyes twinkle with a wicked gleam.

"You do that a lot," He states after a few minutes of silence. Thank god he broke the silence, the room was starting to get hot.

"Do what?" I ask, confused.

"Bite your lips. It's very distracting," he says slowly, lowering his voice. His pupils dilate and his eyes are almost black. I look down and blush, the strange current runs through my body again.

"I don't notice," I finally reply, looking up. I'm careful not to meet his gaze again. "I should go. I've already taken up to much of your time," I say. I need to get out of here before I do or say something stupid.

"Why so soon?" he asks, humor clearly evident in his voice.

"I'm sure you are a very busy man, Mr. Grey. I don't want to take up your valuable time," I respond in the same tone of voice.

"I don't have anything that can't wait," he fires back.

"Why do you want me to stay?"

"Well, you have basically been interviewing me the whole time and I know nothing about you, Anastasia," he says. It's the first time he has said my first name; it has never sounded so sexy. "I think it's only fair that I get to know about you," he smiles and for the first time it touches his eyes.

"What can you possibly ask me?" I say trying to change his mind. I really have to leave, I feel a mix of attraction and intimidation and I don't know how to react towards him. It's unnerving.

"I'm sure you are a very interesting woman, Dr. Steele." He leans forward and places his elbows on the desk and his fingers in front of his very distracting mouth. _Crap, where the hell is he going with this? _

"Where are you originally from?" he asks.

"How do you know I'm not from Seattle?" I respond.

"Oh no, Dr. Steele, I ask the questions," he smirks.

I sight in defeat. "I'm from Rhode Island, a small city called Woonsocket," I respond, slightly disappointed with this line of questioning. I was expecting more. He leans forward further, his index finger and thumb play with his bottom lip. _What is he trying to do?_

"How long did you live there?" he asks sounding interested, like I was telling him the best story in the world.

"My whole life. Well, until I was 22; when I went to Colombia for medical school. I was born and raised there. Then after high school I went to Brown in Providence, then to New York where stayed until I finished my internship. Now I'm here for my residency," I explain.

"How old are you?" he asks the second I finish talking.

"Has no one ever told you never to ask a women about her age?" I tease.

He smiles but otherwise just waits for my answer. "I'm 26."

"You are a few years younger than me," he states.

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Nope, I ask the questions," he says.

"Fine," I sigh and lean back against the chair. "Continue."

"Thank you for your permission. How long have you been in Seattle?" he asks.

"I've been here around two months; but I haven't had the chance to see anything. I'm always in the hospital and when I'm not I'm sleeping." _Like I should be right now, instead of here. _

"I would imagine." He smiles. "And welcome to Seattle. I could show you around, you would like," he says. His expression quickly changes to one of disbelief, he catches himself and returns back to his guarded domineer.

"Thank you. But I'm sure you are far too busy, Sir. Actually, I really have to go now. I've taken up too much of your time. I should get going. Thank you," I say.

"The pleasure was all mine," he says.

As I rise, he stands and hold out his hand. I shake his hand, shocked that the current from earlier reappears.

"Until we meet again, Dr. Steele" he says in a way that makes it sound like a challenge, not a farewell.

"Until then," I say and start turning to leave. Moving with athletic grace he walks to the door and opens it.

"I'm just making sure you get out alright," he smirks, referring back to my grand entrance. I look down and blush. I walk out of the office, careful not to trip again. I'm sure the blonds would have a good laugh at my expense. Thankfully, this time I make it.

"Do you have a jacket?" Mr. Grey asks from behind me. He seems to have followed me out of his office.

"No, Sir," I reply politely. His eyes widen slightly. I start to walk towards to elevators and I notice he follows me.

"I think I will be alright, Mr. Grey." I turn to glare at him.

"I don't want to take any chances," he replies arrogantly. He puts his hand on the small of my back and we walk towards the elevators. The current between us is palpable as we wait for the elevator to arrive. I wonder if he can feel it too, his face is hard to read. If he feels it he isn't letting me know.

When the elevator doors open I rush in, desperate to get out of this cold, clinical building. I turn to see him gazing at me and leaning against the doorway beside the elevator door. He has one hand on the wall, looking every bit a sexy, dangerous, bad boy. He really is the best looking man I have ever seen.

"Anastasia," his voice caresses my name. Making it sound lovelier than it has ever sounded.

"Christian," I reply as the elevator doors thankfully close.

**So what did you all think? **

**I wanted to add some attitude to Ana, I will be going along with the story for the beginning but I will be changing some things up. For questions about Ana's relationship with the Greys and why she doesn't know about Christian I, it will all be cleared up in the next couple of chapters. Please review!**

**-Lily**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! Well so much for posting every Tuesday. I am so sorry it took me this long and I know that most of you have probably lost interest. It's been a rough couple of weeks. My Grandfather has been sick and finals, it's really taken a tole on me. Thankfully I found some time to write. The next chapter is already half way done so I will be updating later on this week. Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews from last chapter. I love sassy Ana too! So here's the latest chapter! Enjoy! And review! **

Once the doors close, I relax. I didn't realize how tense I was until now. I lean back against the elevator wall trying to process what just happened. I close my eyes and all I see are his intense grey eyes. I'm attracted to him, there is no denying it; but he seems dangerous. There is just something about t him that intrigues me and makes me feel uneasy at the same time.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sudden stop of the elevator. I quickly pull myself together before the doors open. Once they do, I walk out towards the receptionist desk. I set my pass down and quickly walk out.

The fresh air feels heavenly. I just stand in place for a few minutes just taking everything in. Not wanting to look like an idiot, I begin walking. I wonder if he felt the current. He must have; no one has ever made me react like that. Every time I blink all I see are his stormy gray eyes.

I keep walking until my stomach growls. _Oh yeah, I haven't eaten yet_. I walk to the closest Starbucks. Opening the door, the delicious aroma of coffee surrounds me; I feel a little better. I go up and order my usual caramel macchiato and a bagel and sit down.

I take out my phone and see that there's a missed call from my best friend Nick. I smile as I press his name to call him. He and I have been close since sixth grade. If anyone can make me feel less confused, it's him.

"Hello?" Nick's voice comes through the speaker.

"Hey!" I answer excitedly, just his voice puts me at ease.

"What's up, Ana Banana?" he asks.

"Oh, you know, the usual. Work, home, work," I reply. "How about you?"

"I just finished practice, I'm on my way home," he replies.

"Oh, okay. When is your next game? I want to make sure I watch it or record it," I tell him. Nick is a goalie for the New York Islanders. He's wanted to play hockey ever since I can remember. He's a great player, even if I hate hockey, I watch all of his games.

"That's actually why I called you earlier," he says. "We have a game in Seattle. So I'll be there in about four weeks. I just wanted to let you know so that you can stock up."

"Who says you're coming to stay with me?" I ask in mock annoyance. "Can't the Islanders afford a hotel?"

"Obviously, I will be staying at a hotel the night before the game, but I'll be there for three days and I haven't see you in so long. So I'm staying with you. Why stay in a hotel when I have a place there already?" he laughs.

"You don't have a place in Seattle; I do. This isn't like a locker, it's not ours, its mine!" I clarify.

"I have a key," he fires back.

"I changed the locks," I respond.

"You always have a spare key under the carpet, near the door where it's been pulled up. I can get it, as can anyone else for that matter." He starts out teasing but his voice gets serious at the end. He has always hated that I leave a spare key outside; he goes on a rant about it every time he calls.

"Fuck you, Nick."

"Where? When? And how hard?" he responds cheekily.

"I have a security alarms and I live in one of the safest buildings in the city. I can take care of myself. You aren't my father, and that's not even remotely funny," I respond.

"Yeah, then why are you smiling?" he teases back.

"How do you know if I'm smiling? We are on the phone," I ask.

"I know you," he responds.

"Yeah, Yeah. Now, when are you going to get here?" I ask.

"I'm going to be there a week from Thursday, I have a game on Sunday, and then I leave on Tuesday. So we have a few days together," he responds.

"Okay, I'll prep the guest room and see if I can get some time off so we can hang out," I let him know.

"We can play tourists," he says.

"That would be great."

"Alrighty then, well I'll call you later. I have a lunch date," he says quickly.

"What? You have a date? Why did I just find out about this?" I ask.

"I emailed you about her; you just never answered. You've been too busy with work," he says, trying to defend himself.

"Like you don't work longer hours than me. Call me when you can. I want to know how it goes. Don't sleep with her on the first date!" I warn.

"If I want to sleep with someone I will," he responds in mock anger.

"Well don't be silly wrap your willy!" I yell into the phone, forgetting that I'm in a public place. A women holding a young child glares at me. Oops!

"Bye," he says, clearly not amused.

"I love you," I tease. He hangs up. I quickly go to my email to check out his girl. She seems nice enough. Hopefully something happens between them. He deserves a nice girl.

I quickly finish my breakfast; avoiding the women's dirty looks. I throw all my things away and head home. I promised Elliot cookies and I'll never hear the end of it if I don't make him some. On the way home I make a quick stop at the grocery store and grab everything I need.

When I get home I grab a glass of white wine, I know it's early but I've had a big day. Two hours later I have three dozen in platters ready to go.

I stack the plastic holding dishes on top of each other and put them in a shopping bag. I walk out of my apartment and head towards the underground garage. I'm so excited to drive my car. The only downside to living in a big city, in my opinion, is not being able to drive my brand new car. I bought it for myself as a gift after finishing my internship. It a beautiful Mercedes S60 in black with all white leather interior. My dream car.

I put the cookies into the back seat and drive out of the garage. Elliot sent me the address of his newest build. So I put it in the GPS and drive off. It's about an hour away, so I have a whole 60 minutes alone with my car.

I can't help but think of Christian. I've managed to put him out of my thoughts for the last couple of hours, but now all I can think about is him. This is ridiculous. I don't know if it's because I'm attracted to him or if it's because I'm intimidated by him. Either way, I can't get him out of my mind.

I have to stop. I'll never see him again, he probably has a girlfriend anyways. A guy like that isn't going to fall for a girl like me. He's gorgeous and smart and rich. I'm not ugly, I know I'm decent looking but I'm unavailable. Even if for some reason he's attracted to me; I'm married to my work.

_Ana, you have to stop this_, I say to myself. I'm here because I want to be successful not to fawn over someone who is probably into models. What would he even want with me?

I take a few deep breaths. That's it, no more thinking of Christian Grey.

I turn the music up louder and try to focus on driving.

Half an hour later I pull into the construction site. I see the Grey Construction logo on the trucks.

_I wonder if Christian is related to Elliot,_ I think to myself. I stop in my tracks. Oh My God, Christian Grey is Grace's son. Elliot's brother! How did I not realize this sooner?

He is not at all what I thought Grace's baby boy would be. She has never mentioned that he is a billionaire. But I guess that's not something you tell people. Oh well, it doesn't matter, I won't be seeing him anytime soon.

I get out of the car and grab the cookie. I walk up the uneven road. Thankfully I switched out of my heels and into some Toms.

I walk towards the trailer, carefully so as to not drop the cookies. When I reach the door I place the platter on the ground and knock.

The door swings open and Elliot walks out.

"Hey, sweet thang. What's up?" he yells out, his face breaking out into a huge, childlike grin.

I bend down and pick up the platters. I hold it up to him, not saying anything.

"Oh, sweet, cookies," he quickly snatches one platter and rips the lid open. "Red velvet, my favorite. Why aren't we married yet, Sweet thang?" he says as he takes out a cookie and stuffs it in his mouth.

"You've never asked," I respond, laughing at how quickly he downed the cookie.

He grabs the other platters and heads into the trailer, he holds the door open and I walk in. I go and sit on the chair by the desk.

"So how's it going, El," I ask

"Pretty good. The client loves the design and the materials are in. Now all we have to do is break ground," he responds enthusiastically. No matter how big a goofball he is, he's the best architect and builder I have ever met. He is completely different when he talks about his business.

"That's fantastic, is this property the first Eco friendly one?" I ask. He recently got hired to build a series of Eco friendly homes and apartments.

"Yeah, so hopefully it goes well. So what did you do today?" he asks.

"Oh, you know, the usual. I had a quick work thing, then I made the cookies. Nick is coming in a few weeks," I inform him excitedly. For some reason, I felt like talking to him about Christian was wrong. It felt like I was sharing something too personal.

"Oh cool, I finally get to meet my competition," he laughs.

"No one is competing," I scold.

"Are you working tomorrow?" he asks.

"Yup, I should get going actually. Dr. Steele hasn't gotten any house work done and I'm out of clean clothes," I inform him.

"Alrighty then, I'll walk you to the door. Thanks for the cookies. I'm gonna put them in my truck, I'm not sharing with the guys," he say chuckling.

"Make sure you bring some to your mother," I tell him.

"Aww, fine. Mia isn't coming back until next week so they haven't had any sweets lately; and dad loves your cookies," he says as he holds the door open.

"Make sure you do," I command. "Well, bye, El. I'll see you later." I reach up and give him a kiss on the cheeks.

I walk to my car and drive home. The rest of the day is spent doing laundry and cleaning up; I've really let this place go. The rest of the day passes by quickly without any thought of Christian Grey. The rest of the week goes by pretty much the same.

On Friday, I'm finishing up my rounds when I notice a huge man dark grey sweats and a sweaty T-shirt yelling at one of the nursed in the reception area of the E.R.

I run up to the man to try ad defuse the situation. As I get closer, I begin to hear what he's saying. "Will you hurry up?! He is in serious pain, I don't care who you have to push back he needs a doctor right away!" he yells.

"Sir, please, it's only an ankle we have more urgent matters to attend to," the nurse says calmly. This make the big man even angrier.

Not wanting the scene to go on any longer I interject. "Sir, what seems to be the problem?" I ask in a calm soothing voice.

"Good, finally a doctor. I need you over hear," he says directing me to one of the consultation rooms.

I decide to follow without protest. No one needs this guy throwing a tantrum. He leads the way to the door and opens it and quickly pushes me inside.

_People have no manners anymore,_ think to myself.

I look to the bed. My heart skips a beat when I see who it is.

Christina Grey…

**I hope you all enjoyed the little cliff hanger at the end. Why is Christian in the hospital? I wonder… Anyways please review, I love reading all the amazing comments you all leave. Please excuse any mistakes that I may have made. I was rushing through this. Until next time.**

**Lily**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! Thanks so much for the amazing reviews. I know it took me a little longer then promised to update but I hated my first draft of this so I rewrote the whole thing. Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter. It is by far my favorite and I can't wait for you to read it. Please enjoy and review; I love hearing what you all have to say. **

**-Lily**

He is just sitting in the bed looking like a god. Once the initial shock of seeing him wears off I notice the scratches.

His immaculate face is tainted with scratches and bruised. Looking down his body I see that he's in sweats, just like the big man from earlier, except his are covered in blood. His shoes are off; his left ankle is the size of a grapefruit.

"Hello, Doctor," he says smiling sheepishly at me.

"What happened to you?" I ask, the shock evident in my voice.

"I was going for a quiet jog and the paparazzi got slightly out of hand," he says. He sounds really annoyed.

"I can see that," I respond. I walk to him and to check out the damage. Suddenly, I'm in doctor mode. "If you hold on a few minutes I can get Ortho and plastics down here and you'll be taken care of," I inform him.

"I would much rather you take care of me," he insists.

"Well, this isn't my department. If your henchmen hadn't been making a scene I wouldn't be here," I snap back.

"Well, now that you are here I don't see why not," he fires back.

We glare at each other, silently fighting for control.

"I hit my head when I fell. For all we know I could be hemorrhaging right now. So I do need you to check over me. If something happens to me it would be your license on the line," he says, a smirk appears on his lips; he knows he won.

"Fine," I snap.

_Hopefully he has brain damage, that would be the only acceptable excuse for how he is acting,_ I think to myself.

I grab some hand sanitizer then put gloves on. I walk up to him. "Look to your left, Mr. Grey," I tell him.

The skin around his hypnotic gray eyes is all scratched, thankfully not enough to need stiches. All I need to do is sanitize the wound and bandage it up. I grab sanitizing wipes from the cabinet and proceed to clean up the wound.

"Close your eyes," I tell him when I get to the area around his left eye. When I dab that area I hear him gasp and flinch away. "Stay still," I snap. Satisfaction rushes through me. Ana: 1, Cocky Billionaire:0.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he says, startling me.

"I'm not really thinking about anything," I respond honestly.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asks catching me off guard.

"What?"

"A boyfriend? Do you have one?" he prompts.

"No, I don't have time for a boyfriend. I have a best friend though, he fills in when I have an event or something," I say, nervous for some reason. _Why did I tell him about Nick? _ I think to myself. I feel a crimson blush start to appear on my cheeks.

"This friend, is it serious?" he asks.

"Don't you know what a friend is? It can't be serious, because we are just friends," I explain, rolling my eyes.

"I don't have many friends," he explains.

"Big surprise," I mutter under my breath.

"I heard that," he says humor evident in his voice.

"Are you always like this around your boyfriends?" he acquires.

"I already told you I don't have a boyfriend!" I respond.

"I mean male friends. Are you always this mean?" he asks, his voice is laced with humor, a smile plays on his lips. He seems to be enjoying himself.

"I am not mean. I'm just defensive with you. You're very intimidating," I clarify shyly.

"I intimidate you?" he asks surprised.

"Very much so," I reply.

"You should be intimidated, Anastasia," he responds, suddenly serious. Something is telling that this is a warning. The air in the room changes from playful to grave in less than a second.

I turn around to get more wipes. "You were being very honest, please don't shut down now. I like seeing your face," he says almost pleadingly.

"Your eyes are supposed to be closed," I scold.

"I've been sneaking little peaks," he turns to face me, a bad boy smile decorates his handsome face. "There now I can see your face, It gives me some sort of clue to what you were thinking," he breaths. "You're very guarded, Dr. Steele."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm an open book," I defend myself.

"I think you're very self-contained," he murmurs.

Am I? No one has ever called me self-contained before. This is bewildering.

"Except when you blush, which happens quiet often. I just wish I knew what you're blushing about," he whispers, mostly to himself.

"You make very personal observations," I remark.

He looks back at me surprised. "I hadn't realized I was. Did I offend you?"

"No, but you're very high-handed," I answer.

He raises his eyebrow and if I'm not mistaken, flushes a little.

"I'm used to getting my way; in all things, Anastasia," he murmurs.

"You haven't asked me to call you by your first name," I remark. I'm slightly taken back with my audacity. So is he, judging by the surprised look on his face.

"Only family and a few close friends call by given name. That's how I like it."

"So you do have friends," I say, desperately trying to lighten the conversation. Why is this conversation suddenly so serious? This is not how I thought it would go.

He turns to me, a small smile plays on his lips. "Call me Christian."

I finish cleaning up the wound throw the wipes away. I walk up to the cabinet where we keep the Band-Aids. "So, Christian, would you like a SpongeBob or Diego band aid?" I ask.

"Very funny, Dr. Steele," he responds dryly.

"No, I'm serious, this is all that's in this room. It's usually where we take the kids," I say trying to sound serious, but failing miserable when I see the look on his face.

Christians face is contorted in utter horror. "Relax, I will have a nurse go find one for you," I say trying to calm him down.

He really is a control freak. Someone needs to knock him off his high horse. It's as if no one has ever told him "no".

I go out into the next room and grab a pack of plain band aids for Master of the Universe. I walk back into the room to find him on his blackberry.

"Don't you ever get of that phone," I say.

He looks up for a second then goes back to whatever he was writing. "I have a business to run, people need answers and directions," he replies.

"God forbid you pass some control onto someone else," I snap at him.

He sets his phone down and looks at me impassively, humor evident in his gray eyes. "Are you an only child?"

"No, I have younger sister, Sonia. My parents were into Russian names," I explain.

"Tell me about your family," he commands as I bandage him up carefully.

"My parents are together, they have been together for 30 years. My mom is the superintendent of the school district and my father is a truck driver for a nonprofit. My sister is a kindergarten teacher. They all live in Rhode Island."

"If they all live there why did you come here? There are great hospitals in the North East," he asks.

"I wanted to live my own life. I was tired of the small town life. I wanted adventure," I tell him.

"That's very vague. You talked openly about your family but when it comes to yourself you close off," he observes.

"Again with the personal observations, Christian. I am going to call an intern and they will get X-Rays for your ankle," I say and walk out of the room.

I go to the nurse's station and I inform them to page someone. I get Christians chart and fill it out while I wait for the X-Rays to be done. He is so frustrating; why does he need to know such personal details? I left RI for a reason and it's none of his business. His line of questioning brings back memories that I would rather not relive at work. I focus on the chart and try to push down the thoughts of-

"Dr. Steele, I did the X-Rays and it only showed a sprain. I will finish this up if you want," the intern whose name I can't remember says to me, distracting me from my dangerous train of thought.

"I can handle it, thank you," I say briskly.

I put the chart away and walk back into the room. I immediately get to work on his ankle without saying anything.

"I'm sorry," he says sincerely. A fleeting, troubled look crosses his face.

"Okay, Christian. Your ankle isn't broken, thankfully. All you will need to do is ice it at night and keep the brace that I give you on during the day. You can't put any weight on it, or else it won't heal properly. This means that you will need crutches. I will inform the nurses and they will have you sized and ready to go," I explain to him. Trying very hard not to look at him for long periods of time.

"Are you angry, Dr. Steele?" he asks, a smirk plays on his perfect lips.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Grey," I say. Two can play this game.

"You can't be angry at me for questioning you. You questioned me once, and if I recall correctly, the questions were very personal. So it's only fair that I got to ask a few questions myself," he fires back at me.

I will never live down that gay question. "Do you have a girlfriend?" I ask suddenly. The question shocks me about as much as it seems to shock him.

He gives me a crocked half smile, "I don't do the girlfriend thing."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I inquire.

"I'll show you sometime," he says playfully. Then, suddenly, the smile fades from his lips and he's quiet. He is so mercurial.

I quickly finish up with is ankle. "Okay, you are all set," I tell him.

He looks down and examines his wrapped ankle. He tries to move it, but quickly flinches in pain and stops.

I go to the corridor and get a wheelchair and his crutches. "Can you kick your legs over? I will help you get onto the chair," I tell him.

He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and faces me. I wheel the chair near the bed so that it's easy for him to sit on it. I walk up to him. "Okay, put your hands on my shoulders and use me as support," I tell him.

I put my hands on his elbows. Just as he starts to get up I lose my footing and fall onto him. He quickly regains his balance and catches me.

It all happens so fast- one minute I'm helping him stand the next I'm in his arms ad he's holding me tightly against his chest. I inhale his clean, wholesome scent. He smells of freshly laundered linen and expensive body wash. It's intoxicating.

"Are you alright?" he ask. He keeps one arm around me, while his other hand pushes the hair out of my face. His thumb brushes my lower lip and his breath hitches. He's looking into my eyes and I'm lost in his hypnotic gaze.

My eyes fall on his beautiful lips. I want him to kiss me more than I've wanted anything else in my entire life.

_Kiss me!_ I scream in my head. I can't move, I'm paralyzed by need.

He's looking down at me, his pupils dilated and his gaze hooded. His breathing harder than usual. I've stopped breathing altogether. Anticipations runs through my veins.

_Kiss Me!_

**So what did you all think? I used some of the dialogue from the coffee scene in FSOG and changed it up a bit. Sorry for the little cliff hanger. Is he going to kiss her? Hopefully you all enjoyed it. Please review!**

**-Lily**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone! Here is the new chapter; I know the last one ended with a cliffhanger and this one too. Thank you so much for all your amazing comments, it makes the time I put into the story worth it. I will have a Pinterest page made for the story so you can see all the clothes and houses. I decided to throw in some personal things in with this chapter. Hopefully you all enjoy it! And review!**

**-Lily**

He closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. He silently shakes his head; as if answering my silent request.

He opens his eyes again. The lust has disappeared, replaced with a steely resolve.

"Anastasia, you should steer clear of me. I'm not the man for you," he whispers.

I push back from him and stand on my own. A mixture of embarrassment and rejection rushes through me. Blood rushes to my face and tears spring to my eyes.

_Do no cry_, I tell myself over and over. I blink a few times, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Alright, you are all set. The nurses will help you with everything else." I turn, desperate to get out of the room.

"Anastasia… wait, I-" he starts to say, but his voice fades away.

I urn to face him. "What, Christian?"

"Here is my card, if you ever need anything. Thank you for taking care of me," he says, his voice apologetic.

"I was just doing my job," I say flatly. I take the card and walk out; I put the card in the pocket of my scrubs. I'll throw it away later.

I tell the nurses that they need to finish up with him. I quickly run to one of the on call rooms before the tears slip out.

I rush into the first on call room I see and quickly shut and lock the door. Just as I do, tears start to fall from my eyes. I walk over to one of the beds and sit down. I put my head in my hands, drawing up my knees I fall into myself.

Why am I crying? I'm so angry at myself for this reaction. I bring my knees up and place my head on my knees. I let the irrational tears fall unrestricted.

I am crying over the loss of something I never had. He was never mine. So why does it hurt so badly?

I have never been on the receiving end of rejection before. I have always played it safe and this is the first time I have ever let myself out there and this happens. No one has ever sparked my interest like Christian Fucking Grey.

I've dated before but never anything serious. Sure I once thought something would happen with Nick, but I've never felt the excitement, the adrenaline, that I feel with Christian.

_Stop it_! The rational part of my brain screams at me. _This is so stupid. _I'm a beautiful, well educated, sweet girl, he would be lucky to have me! Screw him. I quickly wipe the tears off my face and go back to work.

It's when I finally get to bed at 2 a.m. that I allow my thoughts to drift back to Christian I-don't-want-you Grey.

My thoughts drift to my strange morning. I keep going back to _I don't do the girlfriend thing _quote. How could I be so stupid?!

Realization sweeps through me and I sit up in bed. He said it then and there. He doesn't want me as a girlfriend. I lay back down and turn on my side.

I wonder if he's celibate. I close my eyes ad begin to drift. Well he's not saving himself for me, that's for sure.

And that night, I dream of gray eyes, and I'm running through dark eerie strip lighting, and I don't know if I'm running towards something or away from something.

The loud screeching of my phone jolts me awake. I slowly open my eyes. Ugh, it's 4 a.m. I sit up and stretch, feeling exhausted. I grab my phone, press the home button, the bright light temporarily blinds me. I blink a few times until my vision gets adjusted.

_Any available neuro needed in ER, ASAP._

I jump out of bed and run out of the on call room. So much for getting any real sleep. When I get to the ER, I notice Dr. Trevelyan standing outside of one of the consult rooms looking distraught.

"Grace? Are all right?" I ask, walking up to her.

"Oh, hello, Darling. Yes, I'm okay, just a little shaken up." She dabs away the tears in her eyes.

"Why? What happened? Is everyone alright?" I ask, my thoughts immediately drifting to Carrick and Elliot.

"Everything is fine, Dear, I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that I can't stand to see anymore abused children. It breaks my heart," she says, tears start to pool in her blue eyes.

"You are doing everything you can to help. You're an amazing doctor and Coping Together is an amazing organization. We can't help all of them but you are doing an amazing job," I say as I put my arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"I know, it's just I know how hard life is going to be for him and it breaks my heart. I have to pull myself together. Thank you, Ana, you always know exactly what to say." She hugs me back. "Okay, I need a consult on Anthony, he has some bruises on his face and I want to make sure that there is no brain damage," she says, she gives my hand a squeeze and walks away.

I walk into the room, only to see the most adorable little boy. His blond curly hair is dirty and his clothes are ripped. He's clutching a filthy teddy bear. He looks terrified, his wide blue eyes scan the room and when he sees me he clutches the teddy bear close.

"Hi, Anthony, I'm Dr. Steele but you can call me Ana. I'm here to make sure that your head is okay," I say softly. I walk up to him slowly, as not to frighten him. I pull out my flashlight and hand it to him.

"Do you want play with it? Just press the button on the end, there you go," I say when he does it. He looks amazed at how it lights up.

"Here let me show you this. Point it at the wall, just like that," I say as I help him point the flashlight at the wall. I make some shadow puppets. He looks at them, then at me, amazement clear in his eyes.

"How about this, you let me check you over and I show you how to make them," I suggest.

"Okay," he says in a sweet little voice.

I quickly check him over, as far as I can tell he is alright. I'll need to get a few scans going but I don't think we'll find anything.

"Anthony, the nice nurse is going to take you upstairs for a few scans. It's this cool machine that takes pictures of your insides. When you get back I will be right here, okay?" I tell him.

"Promise?" he says, the look on his face breaks my heart.

"Promise."

A nurse comes in and takes him out. While I wait for his scans to be done I grab some food and fill out his chart.

After I finish I walk back into Anthony's room, just in time for him to come back. He looks around the room and when he sees me his face shows a mixture of shock and excitement. I don't think he thought I would keep my promise. It hurts me to think about why that's the case.

I look over his charts and to my surprise there is a slight bleed. Not enough to cause any damage but we have to keep him here for a while until it stops. My heart breaks thinking of how he got it.

I bring him some hot chocolate and we make finger puppets until he falls asleep. Grace checks in on us periodically. When he is fast asleep I carefully walk out and finish up with the rest of my patients.

Anthony has stolen my heart. He is such a sweet little boy; hopefully he can find a good family. I will have to talk to Grace about that.

I make sure that Anthony is alright and that the nurses are checking in on him every once in a while.

My shift ends at noon. Finally, I can go home and get some much needed sleep. I call ahead to Barolo Ristorante and pick up lunch on my way home.

I park my car in the underground garage and grab my lunch from the passenger seat. On my way up to the 27th floor all I can think about is sleep. Thankfully I did a load of laundry two days ago so I have the next day off. Maybe I'll call Enoska and Karina, my best friends from med school, and see if they are free.

Enoska and Karina both moved to Seattle. Enoska is an Editor at SIP and Karina owns a bakery. I haven't seen them in weeks; I'll see if they want to have a girls nigh. I walk into my apartment and grab a glass of wine.

Just as I sit down to eat the intercom buzzes. I run to the intercom. "Hello?" I say as I press down the button.

"Hi, I have a delivery for Dr. Anastasia Steele," a male voice comes through. I buzz him in and wait.

I think back, wondering if I ordered anything from EBay or Amazon, nope I didn't order anything. A knock on the door distracts me from my train of thought. I walk to the door and open it. A man in a well fitted black suit and a buzz cut is waiting on the other side. _What kind of mail man is this?_ I wonder ideally.

"This is for you, Dr. Steele. Have a nice day," he says politely.

"You too," I answer.

I look at the plain, brown package; I look for a return address, but there is none. Who could have sent this? It's not my parents or any friends. Curiosity gets the better of me, I open the top drawer of the table in the entrance hall and get some scissors. I rip open the package, and inside I find a half leather box containing three seemingly identical old cloth-covered books in mint condition and a plain white card. Written on one side, in black ink in neat cursive handwriting is:

_Why didn't you tell me there war danger? Why didn't you war me? Ladies know what to guard against, because they read novels that tell them of these tricks… _

I recognize the quote from _Tess_. I am stunned by the coincidence as I've just finished reading the book. I inspect the books closely, three volumes of _Tess of the d'Urbervilles_. I open the front cover of one of the books, written in an old typeface on the front page is:

**London: Jake R. Osgood, **

**McIlvaine and Co., 1891**

Shit! These are first additions, they are worth a fortune, I know immediately who sent them. But why?

It seems like a warning. The quote is what Tess says to her mother after Alec d'Urberville had is wicked way with her.

I have no let myself dwell on Christian Grey for the past week. Okay…so his gray eyes are still haunting my dreams, and I know it will take an eternity to expunge the feel of his arms around me and his wonderful fragrance, from my brain. Why would he send me this? It's not like I have been beating down his door.

I put the books back in the package. I will send them back with an equally confusing quote. The card! I reach into my pocket and pull it out, Christian T. Grey is written in clean dark blue lettering I turn the card over only to see a phone number written on the same handwriting as the note in the books. I put the card in my bag, no need to embarrass myself further.

I finish eating my lunch and I call the girls. Girl's night is all set up. I take a quick shower then I set my alarm clock up.

There is no better feeling better feeling then getting into bed after 24 hours with barely any sleep. It takes no time for me to fall asleep.

At around six my alarm goes off, I wake up feeling fully rested. I get out of bed and into a nice hot shower. The girls and I aren't meeting until 9 for dinner and clubbing, so I have more than enough time to get ready.

I make sure to shave nicely; I'm not going home with anyone, but it's always nice to feel confident. After my shower I wrap a big fluffy towel around myself and walk into my closet. Looking through my dresses I decide on a navy blue, one shouldered asymmetric bandage dress from Herve Leger. This dress cost a small fortune so I'm super excited about wearing it. Now onto accessories! I turn to the shoe section of my huge closet and just stand there looking. Suddenly the most beautiful pairs of shoes catch my eyes. They are Christian Louboutin laser-cut patent bootie with specchio backing. Flesh colored mesh is embroidered with a beautiful black leather pattern. I don't remember buying these shoes. Oh yeah, Nick gave them to me last year on my birthday; I have to call and thank him.

To finish the look I pick out a Prada leather clutch with gold accents and an Elizabeth Lock black and gold jade bracelet.

Now that my outfit is ready I just have to pick out some sexy underwear. I am a firm believer in always wearing hot undies; it makes you feel more confident as a women. I decide to go for my Matilda Corset from Agent Provocateur. It's nude power mesh with black French lace. It feels heavenly against my skin and it keeps everything tight and in place, so no need for spanks. I go with simple black lace briefs, no stockings tonight.

I decide to keep my hairs simple in long loose curls. I do a dark smokey eye but other than that my makeup is natural. Once I'm done I look at the clock, 8:45. I have just enough time to get to the restaurant. On my way out I grab some flip flops to drive with, I hate driving in heels. The Columbia Tower, where Enoska make reservations, is only a five minute drive.

When I get there the valet takes my car and I head inside. The building is beautiful, it reminds me of my building. They are both modern with a minimalistic design and an open floor plan. I press the 78th floor button and move to the back of the elevator as all the men in suits enter.

The Mile High Club is one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city; the food is to die for. I love coming here, especially with girls.

When I get to the receptionist I give her my name.

"Good evening, Dr. Steele, you are the last of your party; please follow me," she says, she directs me to a table in the far corner of the huge room, with a great view of the space needle.

The girls turn and huge grins spread across their faces.

"Ana!" They both cry out.

"I see you started drinking without me," I say as I give each of them a hug.

"We were going to wait, but you took forever," Enoska says.

"I'm on time! It's 8:55," I say trying to defend myself. We fall into easy conversation after that. We talk about how everyone is doing and plans that we have coming up.

"Nick is coming in a few weeks," I tell them.

They look at each other, sharing a look. "Really?" Enoska asks.

"Where is he staying?" Karina says, wagging her eyebrow.

"With me," I reply.

They look at each other again. "What?!" I ask, getting frustrated.

"When will you two just admit it and get together. This has been going on since 10th grade. Just fuck already," Karina screams. A few people from the table near us look over.

"Okay, maybe it's time to go," I suggest.

"Yeah! Let's go clubbing. We'll drop of our cars at your place and take a cab, that way we can get drunk. We can just sleep over there," Enoska suggests.

"Yeah! We haven't had a sleepover since high school, we can even go on Omegle," Karina suggests.

"Let's do it," I say and stand. I tell the waiter to put the dinner on my account, much to the protest of the girls, then we head out.

We each get into our separate cars and head to my house, on the way I call a cab service and there is a car waiting for us when we get there.

When we get to the Trinity Night Club we are in a fit of laughter. I went to med school with the son of the owner so we don't have to wait in line. We are immediately taken to the VIP area.

We put our stuff down and rush to the dance floor. The music is amazing, a mix of pop, hip hop, and even country. The DJ is a genius, after a while we go and sit back down. The drinks are flowing, from Cosmo's to beers, we have it all.

I decide to go to the bathroom. I stand.

Whoa. Head spin.

I have grab the wall to keep myself from falling, maybe drinking so much wasn't a good idea. I make my way to the bathroom, and of course there is a line. I take out my phone to pass the time. The back of my phone feels strange. I turn it around and notice that Christians card is stuck the back. I should call him, I want to know why he sent me those books.

I enter his number into my phone, I suppress a drunken grin and press call.

"Hello?" his voice comes through the phone.

"Why did you send me the books?" I ask.

"Anastasia?" he sounds surprised to hear from me. Well, frankly, I'm surprised that I called him.

"Anastasia? Are you okay? You sound strange." His voice is filled with concern.

"I'm not the strange on, you are," I told him.

"Anastasia, have you been drinking?"

"What's it to you."

"I'm…. curious, where are you?"

"In a club."

"Which club?" He sounds frustrated.

"A club in Seattle."

"How are you getting home?"

"I have a way." This is not how imagined this conversation going.

"Which club?" he asks again.

"Why did you send me those books, Christian?"

"Anastasia, where are you? Tell me right now." His tone is dictatorial, he is such a control freak.

"You're so… domineering." I giggle.

"Ana, so help me, where the fuck are you?"

Christian Grey is swearing at me, it's so…hot.

"Goodnight, Christian."

"Ana!"

I hang up. Ha! Wait, didn't find out about the books. Crap.

I quickly go to the bathroom. Once I'm done I head back out to the VIP area, the girls are still on the dance floor.

My phone vibrates. Shit, it's Christian Grey. "Hello?" I say timidly; I wasn't prepared for this.

"I'm coming to get you," he says and hangs up. Only Christian Grey can sound so calm and threatening at the same time. I push the thought out of my head.

I decide to join Enoska and Karina. Just as I get onto the dance floor, Beyoncé's Dance for You starts to play. I let my body swing to the rhythm. I hips sway and I run my hands through my hair. I feel arms wrap around my waist.

"Can I dance with you, Baby?" an unfamiliar male voice whispers in my ear. Normally I would never dance with a stranger but the alcohol has taken over.

We sway to the sensual beat of the song. I turn and look at him; it's dark so I can't make out all the little details but he's handsome.

Dark brown hair, a nice face, and a fit body; he good looking but no Christian Grey.

Once the song ends I decide to step out. The stranger comes with me. I make my way through the crowd again. I am beginning to feel nauseated, my head is spinning uncomfortable, and I'm a little unsteady on my feet.

Once I get outside I start to feel a little better, the air is heavenly. I lean against the wall near the entrance. The handsome stranger comes to stand near me.

"I'm Liam," he says and offers his hand.

"Ana," I reply.

"You're a great dancer," he compliments moving closer to me. He puts his arm on the wall near my head.

"Thanks," I say.

"Do you come here a lot?" He moves closer and puts his arms around me, he leans in.

"I don't think this is a good idea," I say, my heart beat increases drastically.

"Ana, please," he whispers, and now he's pulling me closer. He has one hand on the small of my back pulling me towards me. I try to push him away, but he's a wall of muscle and he won't budge.

"I like you," he whispers, his lips mere inches from my face. His breath is soft and smells too sweet- of margarita and beer. He gently kisses around my jaw and up to the side of my mouth. I feel panicky, drunk, and out of control. The feeling is suffocating

"Liam, no!" I plead.

"I think the lady said no," a voice in the dark says quietly. Holy shit! Christian Grey, he's here.

**So? What did you think? Hopefully you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Since it's summer the chapters should be posted more often and they will be longer. Thank you all so much for reading! Until next time! Review!**

**-Lily**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! How is everyone doing? Sorry for the wait, I've been on vacation but I'm back now and I have the next three chapters all written, so it shouldn't be long before I update again. So in the books I didn't like how quickly things happened between Christian and Ana, that's not realistic at all. I want them to have a chance to get to know each other a little before Christian lets Ana know what he is. Hopefully you all enjoy! Thank you everyone for all the amazing comments and PMs that you sent, I love hearing your thoughts so keep them coming! **

**-Lily**

Crap! What is he doing here?

_You called him! _My subconscious pipes up. Double crap! _What am I going to do?_

Liam turns to face Christian. I use his distraction as my chance to push him away.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Asshole?" Liam spits out at Christian.

_Not a good idea_, I think to myself. For the first time tonight I turn and look at Christian. He looks as panty-dropping gorgeous as always. He's in tight black skinny jeans and a matching T-shirt. His left leg is in the same black brace I put it in yesterday.

"It is my business. Now get the fuck away from her before I make you," Christian threatens in a low intimidating voice.

I turn to Liam who is suddenly very pale; he quickly turns and heads back into the club, leaving me alone with Christian. He's about five feet away from me; I can feel the electric current running between us.

"Are you alright?" he asks quietly, as not to scare me.

It takes me a minute to remember how to speak. "Umm…Yes, I'm good," I say, my words slur slightly.

Once he realizes that I'm not hurt the concern leaves his face. Anger flashes in his eyes. "How could you be so stupid?" he yells at me.

I just stare at him, dumbstruck. "Excuse me? Who the hell do you think you are?!" I yell back.

"I'm the guy who just stopped that Fucker from raping you!" he yells back, he runs his fingers through his hair and lets out an exasperated breath.

"First, no one asked you to. Second, he wasn't going to rape me; I would never let it get that far. Third, what happens to me is none of your fucking business! Why are you even here?" I yell, my voice increases volume with every word.

"Calm down."

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" I scream. I hold on the wall, my head is killing me and I'm suddenly very dizzy. The copious amounts of alcohol I drank is starting to catch up with me.

Christian just stares at me as if I just lost my mind. "You called me and I got worried," he says quietly. He limps over to me. "Sit down before you fall," he tells me in a soft but equally domineering voice.

I decide to listen to him without a fight and sit. He follows my lead and sits beside me on the sidewalk.

"Why are you here, Christian?" I say softly. My pounding head can't take anymore screaming.

"I told you, I was worried," he says, turns away from me and runs his fingers through his already tousled locks.

"Why do you even care? You made it very clear that you didn't yesterday," I say softly. The martinis have given me a lot of courage and I decide to go along with it. I'm going to regret this in the morning, might as well get some information.

"Ana…I-" he starts to say but stops when the Neanderthal from yesterday comes up to us.

"Mr. Grey, is everything alright?" he says looking between Christian and I.

"Everything is fine, Taylor. We're taking Dr. Steele home. Please get the car," he informs Taylor.

"Sir," he says then he turns and walks away.

"You're not taking me home!" I say, baffled that he actually thought I would let some stranger I barely know take me home. Billionaire or not, that's not going to happen.

"Do you have to fight me on everything?" he asks frustration laces his voice.

"Only when you are being unreasonable. My friends are here; I'm going with them. Thanks for coming all this way and 'saving me' but I'm not going anywhere with you." I stand up, with great difficulty, and start to walk back into the club.

I feel a tug on my wrist, I turn around and see that Grey is holding my hand. The sparks shoot up my arm and straight into my panties.

I look from out joint hands to his eyes, even in the dimly lit street they still manage to hypnotize me.

"There is no way I am letting you out of my sight until I know you're safe. Go tell your friends that you are leaving with me. And for the love of God, stop fighting me!" he says, frustrated.

I am about to argue with him, but another wave of nausea hits me and I'm dizzy again. I know that in my current state there is no way that I will win any arguments with him. So I roll my eyes and pull my hand away from his. I immediately miss the contact.

He glares at me. "If you were mine, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a month after this stunt," he says in a low, intimidating voice.

What is that supposed to mean?

"Lucky for me, I'm not yours, Mr. Grey," I fire back.

An unknown emotions crosses his face for a few seconds but he quickly changes his expression back to his usual composed look. He struggles to get up from the sidewalk but refuses to accept my help.

"You really should be on crutches," I scold. He just glares at me and takes my hand. We walk back into the club, the bouncer barely gives us a second glance. Lead him into the VIP area where Enoska, Karina and I are sitting hopefully they are there. When we get there I notice that it's empty. My eyes scan the area and I see them in the middle of the dance floor.

I turn and lean into Christian. "They are on the dance floor. I'm going to tell them that I'm leaving. Just stay here," I tell him. His hand tightens around mine.

"Drink this first," he says and hands me a bottle of Fiji water from the ice bucket.

I take it and have a few sips.

"All of it," he yells over the music. I roll my eyes but oblige, I drink the whole bottle; I didn't realize how thirsty I was until now.

He lets go of my hand and sits down in the booth, I walk own to the dance floor and start to dance my way to the center where Karina and Enoska are.

I'm about half way there when I feel arms wrap around my waist. I turn to see a greasy, hairy guy. "Wanna dance, baby?" he asks. His breath smell of cheap vodka and cigarettes. My stomach lurches and I swallow back vomit.

"She's with me," I hear a deep, sexy voice say. I immediately know who it is. I turn no see Christian glaring at the poor guy.

The grease ball backs away and Christian moves forward to take his place. "I'm going to start beating them off with a baseball bat," he laughs in my ear. His breath on my neck causes shivers to run through my body. "I can't blame them though. The way you look in this dress would drive any man crazy," he whispers. I stop breathing and my heart skips a beat.

We're standing on the dance floor completely still while everyone dances around us. His hands are on my hips and my back is just inches away from his chest. I can feel the heat radiating off him.

"Come on, let's go to your friends so we can leave," he says. The song that was playing ends and its quickly replaced by Tell me by P-diddy and Christina Aguilera.

I let my hips move to the beat. I feel Christian gasp. Suddenly I don't care about finding my friends. All I can think about is how his hands feel on my hips and how close he is to me.

Christian starts moving with me. Oh My God, he can really move!

I put my hands over his and grind on him. He pulls me closer to him.

Holy Shit! I can feel his erection on my back. I grind against him harder and I hear a low moan escape from deep in his throat. I think I hear him say "fuck" but I'm not sure. We keep mobbing with each other.

Just as the song stops I feel Christian's pants vibrate. I turn to look at him only to see him taking his blackberry out of his pocket. My eyes follow his movements; I try, I really do, but I can't help but notice the huge bulge in his jeans.

My throat goes dry and I quickly look away. I can't hear what he's saying over the loud music but he quickly hangs up. He puts his phone back in his pocket and takes my hand.

"Lead the way," he leans in and says. I notice that his face is a little flushed, probably just like mine.

I just nod and lead him to my friends. We quickly find Enoska and Karina. They are holding hands and dancing with each other while a few guys watched.

The looks on their faces when they spot Christian and I are priceless. Karina's eyes are about to pop out of her head.

I lean in to talk to her, since she is the closest.

"I'm going home, the car will be here at 2 a.m. so you have an hour. Go to your house; I'll drop off your stuff tomorrow," I say.

She looks between Christian and I. "Go!" she yells and gives me a wink, Enoska mimics her actions. I wave bye to both of them and turn back to Christian, who has an amused look on his face.

He takes my hand and we walk back to the VIP area where I left my stuff when the Pussycat Dolls' Buttons comes on. I immediately stop walking.

Christian turns to me with a confused look on his face.

"This is my jam!" I yell out and start dancing. I sway my hips to the music and my hands run up my body and into my hair. I run my fingers through my hair making it fall around my shoulders.

Christian's eyes widen and they go from amused to lustful in less than a second. I reach my hands out to him.

"Dance with me?" I ask.

He shakes his head and smiles, he grabs my hands and pulls me towards him. Almost close enough to touch his chest then he turns me around and we dance like earlier. Much to my dismay his hands don't leave my hips. After a minute or so I feel one of his hands disappear then reappear again to push my hair off one shoulder.

I feel his breath on my neck, goosebumps appear all over my body. He leans in closer. "We have to go," he breaths, just as the last beat of the song plays.

He takes my hand and I follow him off the dance floor we go to the lounge area and I grab my clutch and phone.

"All set?" he asks. I simply nod, I don't trust my voice at them moment. We quickly walk out of the club.

Once we are outside I am finally able to breathe, the fresh air feels heavenly on my overheated skin. My ears are almost numb from all the loud music. Christian leads me into a huge black Audi SUV. He opens the door for me, I climb in and he slowly climbs in after me.

"I'm so sorry," I say, guilt flows through me. He turns to me a confused expression decorates his perfect face.

"For what?" he asks.

"Your foot. You shouldn't even be putting weight on it and I made you dance. Does it hurt?" I ask.

"Don't worry about it, the nurse gave me enough painkillers to tranquilize a horse. And I quiet liked dancing with you." A mischievous look appears in his eyes.

A blush warms my cheeks. To add to my embarrassment my stomach decided that it's the perfect time to advertise my hunger.

"I'm sorry! I haven't eaten since eight," I say mortified. Christian just smiles.

"Taylor, can you take us to Joe's?" Christian asks.

"Certainly, Sir," Taylor answers.

"What's Joe's?" I ask.

"The best burger on the planet," he answers with a boyish smile. I've never seen him so relaxed.

"I highly doubt it. The best burgers are Wild Willy's in Watertown, Mass," I say.

"That's because you haven't had Joe's. It's great, especially when you're drunk," he says laughing.

"Oh so Mr. Perfect has been drunk?" I say sarcastically.

"It happens to the best of us. Some people chose to be more dramatic than others," he answers.

"I'm not drunk," I insist.

"You didn't even remember calling me." He laughs.

"Oh yeah. How did you find me anyways?" I ask.

The playful look is wiped off his face. It's replaced with a guilty, almost sheepish expression. "I tracked your phone."

"That's very stalkerish of you," I accuse.

"Stalkerish isn't a word," he says. Trying to change the subject.

"Seriously! It's an invasion of my privacy!" I yell. Big mistake, my head is throbbing now.

"Are you angry with me?" he asks, he looks like a child about to be scolded.

"Of course I'm angry with you. Well, actually just annoyed, you can't go around doing that. I know you meant well, but it's creepy," I explain.

"I apologize; I didn't mean to be creepy," he says then laughs.

"What?" I ask.

"You are the first person to call me creepy. I'm sure many have thought it, but you're the first to say it. You're not scared of me."

Before I can answer the car stops and Taylor announces that we have arrived.

"Do you have crutches in the car?" I ask Christian.

"Yes."

"Good use them, I didn't spend an hour of my life setting your ankle for you to keep walking on it," I tell him.

He sighs but has Taylor get the crutches. We quickly walk into the little dive bar. I'm in a hurry to continue our conversation. Christian is being very open and this could be my opportunity to find out more about him. Tonight should be interesting.

**How was that? A bit steaming if I do say so myself. A little sassy Ana, I know how you guys love that. I don't want things to be too easy for Christian, where's the fun in that. Hopefully you all enjoyed that and stay tuned to see where the night takes them. Thank you all for reading and please review! See you soon!**

**-Lily**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! I'm back! That took a little longer than expected, but it's a shorter wait than usual. I hope you all had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July, and you are ready to get back into the story. Thank you all for your amazing reviews and PM's, I had no idea so many people liked the last chapter. I was also surprised at how many people loved 'Little Anthony'. I wasn't planning on making him a huge part of the story but after some of the great idea I received we will be seeing him again very soon. **

**So this chapter is a continuation of Christian and Ana's drunk night. I thought it was way too short in the books and it was a wasted opportunity for them to get to know each other. So I decided to change it up a little in my story, and give it the attention it deserves. BTW I made a Pinterest board for the story, very white girl, but I wanted a visual of the story. The board's name is the title of the story. So please check it out, it has pictures of outfits, restaurants, car, houses, ect. That are in the story. **

**Well enjoy this chapter, I decided to keep it light and fun, with only a little seriousness. Please review! I love hearing what you all think and if you have any suggestions feel free to suggest them. Enjoy!**

**-Lily **

For three in the morning the place is packed. It has a cute retro feel with it bright red booths and chrome accents. It looks like a diner right out of the 50's.

"This is so cute," I turn and say to Christina.

"Thank you," a deep masculine voice says from behind me. I turn away from Christian to see a 6ft2 hunk with tattoos and piercings. Normally I wouldn't be attracted to him, but in my drunken haze I find him extraordinarily sexy.

"I'm Jake, the owner." He extends his hand.

"I'm Ana. This place is amazing, I love the 50's theme, if I had known I would've worn something different," I ramble. What is wrong with me?

"I think you look great," he says, his eyes run down my body.

"Thank you! You don't look so bad yourself." I giggle like a school girl.

"Now that we all look good can we be seated?" I hear Christian's impatient voice. Oh crap! I completely forgot about Christian.

"I'm sorry, he's just a little uncomfortable being on his feet," I say trying to mask Christian's rudeness.

"Right this way," Jake says and leads us to a table in the middle of the bar.

"Can we sit somewhere more private?" I ask

"Of course," he says and leads us to a table in the far corner of the dining room. "A server will be right with you. Can I take your drink orders?" he says and hands us menus.

I look over the drink area and decide on a Budweiser, I'm already drunk, what's one more beer going to do?

"I'll have a Bud, not light, no cup," I say.

"I'll have the same," Christian says.

Jake nods and walks away. I stare at Christian impassively; he really has some nerve.

"What?" he asks.

"Nothing."

"It's not my fault that every guy hits on you. Another guy I can add to the Dr. Steele fan club." He smirks.

"What do you mean?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Don't you see it? The fucker outside the club, the one inside, and now this asshole. It's like every man in a five mile radius is drooling over you," he says frustrated. He looks at the menu and runs his fingers through his hair for what seems like the 100th time tonight.

"Aww, are you jealous?" I tease.

"What are you getting?" he asks completely ignoring my question.

Every time the conversation turns to him or he doesn't want to answer something he just changes the subject. It's so fucking frustrating; I may slap him. "I can't have a conversation with you! Whenever a subject you don't like comes up you just change the subject! It's fucking annoying. I can't do this." I stand.

He looks at me, his face a mixture of shock and confusion. Then he snaps out of it. "No! Wait, Ana, please don't go. Fine I'll talk to you. I won't the subject anymore. Ask whatever you want," he says.

The look on his face stops me in my tracks. He looks so lost and vulnerable, its breaks my heart. For some reason he reminds me of Anthony. There's more to him then just being a cocky billionaire. I intend to find out more.

I sit down and we stare at each other, silently fighting for control.

"Hi there! My name is Tiffany, I'm your waitress. Are you ready to order?" The waitress interrupts out staring contest. Her eyes widen and her cheeks flush when she sees Christian. She turns so that she's facing only him. Typical women, oh well, I would do the same thing.

"I'll have Joey's burger and fries, how about you, Ana?" he says, not once looking at Tiffany.

The waitress reluctantly turns to me. "I'll have the same thing he's having, except no pickles if there are any on the burger, please," I say.

"Well if you read the menu, it says that there are no pickles," she snaps at me. _Who does this bitch think she is?_

"That will be all," Christian say, clearly just as annoyed as I am.

When she's out of earshot I speak up. "Bitch was about to get slapped," I say.

Christian breaks out laughing. I've never really seen him laugh before, it's a beautiful sight.

"What?" I ask, laughing along with him; his laugh is contagious.

"That was the last think I would ever expect from you," he says, a playful grin is plastered on his face.

"You don't know me very well. And it looks like I'm not the only one with a fan club," I joke.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he says in mock confusion and shrugs.

I sit up straight and fold my hands under my chin. "So tell me about yourself, Mr. Grey."

"That was very dramatic," he says.

I just raise an eyebrow, prompting him to answer my question.

"Well, since we're being serious. I am Christian Grey, I was born on June 18th, and I was adopted when I was-"

"Not that, I can easily find all that on Wikipedia, trust me I've checked."

"You googled me? That is a violation of my privacy," he asks in mock anger.

"You tracked my phone! I think we are even," I say. I don't know why I admitted to googling him. I have to stop drinking, it's affecting my brain to mouth filter.

"What did google say?" he asks, a radiant smile decorates his lips.

"You should smile more, it suits you. And don't tell me you've never googled yourself," I say shocked.

"I have never googled myself. I don't care what people have to say about me," he says truthfully.

"What kind of celebrity doesn't google themselves? Even I google myself!" I exclaim.

"I'm not a celebrity, I'm a business man," he says.

"I'm sure Donald Trump googles himself all the time," I say laughing. I turn to see the waitress coming with our food. The site of the huge double cheeseburgers with all the fixings and greasy fires makes my mouth water.

She sets the food down and glares at me then stomps away. I don't pay any attention to her; all my attention is focused on the glorious burger in front of me.

I quickly grab the burger off the plate; it's so big that I can barely hold it in my hands. I bring it up to my mouth and take a huge bite. It's as if my mouth has unhinged.

_I must look so sexy right now,_ I think to myself. The juices from the meat run down my forearms. I quickly put the burger down and grab a few napkins.

I look up to see Christian staring at me in utter shock. "What?" I ask defensively after swallowing. A lady never speaks with her mouth open.

"Nothing," he says shaking his head in amusement. "So what does google say about me?" he asks again.

"I thought you didn't care," I respond.

"I just want to make sure you got accurate information."

"Sure." I take a fire. "Well, you are apparently the world's most eligible bachelor, behind Justin Bieber, of course. And to be honest he is much cuter," I joke.

"Who is Justin Bieber?" he asks. I almost choke on my burger.

"Have you been living under a rock? He is the biggest teen heartthrob this side of Elvis," I explain.

"I don't pay attention to that. I don't spend my free time looking up teenage heartthrobs," he says.

"That's another thing. I never saw you with a date, and there were some reports that you are…well, gay. Are you?" I ask timidly. That would explain why he doesn't date, and why he didn't kiss me yesterday.

"Ana, I am not gay. I think you felt how straight I am when we danced," he says quietly, his tone is a mixture of anger and lust. And it's hot!

The beer that I am sipping goes down the wrong tube. "I never said I thought you were gay," I clarify.

"That's why I don't google myself," he says.

"Let's play 20 questions, but I get to ask all the questions," I suggest, trying to lighten the mood.

"Alright," he agrees.

"What is your favorite smell?" I ask.

"What?" he asks, the question has caught him off guard, just as planned.

"Your favorite smell. Mine is when it starts to rain, especially at the beach, it brings back so many memories," I say.

"My favorite smell… I've never been asked that before. It would have to be the smell of the ocean when I'm sailing," he says with a faraway look in his eyes.

"You sail?" I ask.

"Yes, I have a boat that I occasionally take out, not nearly as often as I would like," he says.

"You seem to love sailing," I comment.

"I do, that and soaring. It's freeing, I'm so far away from everything. And for a few minutes I can be happy. It's the only alone time I ever really have, it's freeing," he says passionately.

It's interesting that he apparently happiest when he is either alone in the ocean or up in the sky. As if he's trying to escape something, or someone.

"What are you running away from?" I ask, suddenly the light atmosphere changes into one of seriousness and tension.

"Myself," he responds in a whisper.

I decide to take advantage of his openness and get some answers. "Why did you send me those books, Christian?" my voice is soft.

He sets down his burger and regards me with intensity, his eyes burning with some unfathomable emotion.

"Well, when you slipped and I caught you, you were looking at me- all 'kiss me, kiss me, Christian-" he takes another bite of his burger and shrugs. "I felt as though I owed you an apology and a warning." He runs his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time.

"A warning?" I ask softly.

"Anastasia, I am not a hearts and flowers kind of man. I don't do romance, or date, as google says. My tastes are singular. You should steer clear of me." He closes his eyes in defeat.

"You are the one that tracked my phone. How can I stay away if you are the one coming to me," I say softly.

"There's something about you. I'm finding it impossible to stay away," he says as a form on explanation.

"Then don't," I lean in and whisper.

He gasps, his eyes widen. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Enlighten me then."

We glare at each other, neither of us touch our food. I realize that we are mere inches from each other, I can feel the heat radiating off him. Our silent battle is cut short when Bitchy Mcbitch comes to ask us, well Christian, how the food is.

"We are good." Christian dismisses her.

"I will bet my life that she's going to write her number on the bill," I say and take another bight of the burger. "These things are huge," I say trying to change the subject.

"I thought we weren't allowed to change the subject," Christian teases, he's obviously caught on to what I was doing.

"It was getting a little too serious," I explain.

"Well you shouldn't dig around for information if you can't handle it," he fires back.

"I can keep asking questions, I just saw that you were clearly uncomfortable and done with the subject, so I didn't want to be annoying. I can though," I threaten.

"No, it's okay."

"Do you have any tattoos?" I ask.

"No, I've thought about it but I'm not into it," he responds.

"Too bad, I love a man with tattoos," I joke.

"I can tell." He gives Jake, who is with at table a few feet away, a death glare. "Do you have any?"

"Yes, two," I answer.

"Where?" he asks, a childlike grin adorns his lips. Thankfully he's more relaxed.

"Wouldn't you like to know." I wink.

"You are a tease, Dr. Steele," he accuses.

"I've never been called that before," I say.

"Please?"

"Okay, one is on the back of my ankle, it's a small heart with an infinity sign through it and inside the heart it says sisters. My sister and I got them a few years back on her birthday. The other is the medical symbol behind my ear, for obvious reasons," I say.

"Can I see them?" he asks.

"Sure." I kick my shoe off. "Look under the table," I say.

He looks under the table and grabs my foot, the electric shock runs through me again. Every time there is any contact between us or we're near each other this happens. I wonder if he feels it too.

"Nice, now the other one," he says as he sits back up.

I turn to the left and lift up my hair and pin my ear down. "There, now you've seen all of them," I said.

"I'm kind of disappointed, I was hopping for more scandalous places," he says laughing.

"Pig," I say as the waitress comes.

"How is everything?" she asks Christian.

"We would like the bill," he says.

"Thank God. I she came here one more time this would end up bloodier then an episode of Criminal Minds," I say.

"What is Criminal Minds?" Christian ask/

"You don't know Criminal Minds?! That's it, you are coming over to my place and we are going to watch the whole first season," I say. Unbelievable, what does he do to relax?

"I don't think that's a good idea," he says laughing.

"I though you said you couldn't stay away from me. And it would be a perfect place to finish that conversation," I insist. Just because I dropped it for the moment doesn't mean I don't want to know why he has to stay away from me.

"Alright." He gives in much easier than I thought.

He pay the bill and we head out. The black SUV is waiting outside for us. We climb in, in silence.

"Taylor, to 737 Oliver Way," Christian tells him.

"How do you know my address?" I ask shocked.

"I googled you…" Christian says sheepishly.

"You did a background check, didn't you? Do you have no sense of boundaries or privacy?! Maybe we should watch a Criminal Minds stalker marathon." I'm fuming, why does he do this? Who runs a background check on random people?

"Ana-"

"Save it." I cut him off.

The rest of the drive to my condo is silent. We are both looking out the window, each lost in our thoughts.

**So what did everyone think? Before anyone says anything about Ana's tattoo's, they are small and tasteful and they match my Ana, if you want to see what they look like check out the Pinterest board, again it has the same name as the story. Please Review and I hope you liked it!**

**-Lily **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and to all the people who checked out the Pinterest board. I put up a few more things on there; I will be updating it along with each chapter. For the people who were having trouble finding it, I put the link in my Bib. So this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I just wanted to close up the drunk night with a little fun! Please enjoy and review! **

**-Lily**

"I'm sorry," he says eventually, ending the silence that has fallen over us.

"No, you're not," I respond. To Christian, doing a background check on everyone that comes into his life is probably second nature.

"No, I'm not," he confirms, looking at me, with a wide all-American-boy smile on his handsome face. I just laugh and roll my eyes.

"Has no one ever told you that rolling your eyes is extremely rude?" he asks.

"Has anyone ever told you that stalking is extremely rude?" I retort.

"Fair point, well made, Dr. Steele," he answers.

A comfortable silence fall over us as we continue to drive to my place. The ride to my condo takes about 10 minutes. Before I know it, Taylor pulls up to the front entrance.

He stops the car and walks around to open my door. I get out and he helps Christian out.

"Thank you, Taylor. You can go back to Escala," Christian informs him.

"I love how you assume you're spending the night," I interject. I notice Taylor stifling a laugh. I guess he's not used to someone talking to Christian like this.

Christian looks at me in mock anger. "It will be morning in about three hours, I'm not technically spending the night; I'm spending the morning with you. Therefore, your argument is moot."

"I'll call you when I need you to pick me up, Taylor," Christian says to Taylor.

"Goodnight, Taylor," I tell him.

"Goodnight, Dr. Steele," he responds. He turns and gets back in the car.

"Are we going to stand out here all night, or can we go in?" Christian says.

"Damn, no need for the attitude," I respond. I turn and start walking to the door. James, the night doorman, opens the door for us.

"Good evening, Dr. Steele."

"Hi, James. How are the kids? Is Josh doing better?" I ask. James has adorable twin boys Zack and Josh. One of the twins had an aneurism, which is rare for children. It was one of my first surgeries here in Seattle.

"Josh is doing great, but Zack has the chicken pox," he tells me.

"Aww, I hope he feels better; hopefully Josh doesn't catch it, he's been through enough," I say.

"We've been trying to keep them away from each other, and the pediatrician you referred us to is fantastic," he says gratefully.

"No problem," I say. I turn to see that Christian has finally caught up.

We slowly walk to the elevator. "Are you having trouble with the crutches?" I ask as we wait for the elevator.

"I'm still not used to them," he answers. The doors slide open and we get in. I press the button for my floor and the doors close.

Suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, possible our proximity in such an enclosed space, the atmosphere between us changes, charged with an electric, exhilarating anticipation. My breathing alters as my heart picks up.

His head turns fractionally towards me, his eyes darken and his pupils dilate. I bite my lower lip. Our eyes meet, and he steps closer.

_Holy Shit!_ _He's going to kiss me! _I instinctively move closer to him, our eyes locking.

Suddenly the elevator comes to an abrupt halt, my stomach churns from the sudden movement. _Maybe drinking that last beer was a bad idea. _

We immediately step away from each other and look to see who ruined this perfect moment.

Mrs. Vanderwillson walks into the elevator holding her tiny rat-dog, Mr. Pepsi. She gives me a dirty look and steps between Christian and I, and the elevator doors close.

We are at the 12th floor when she speaks. "Miss Steele, it is very inappropriate to be coming home at such an hour, especially dressed in that attire. I know you are new here, but don't make a habit of it. This is an upscale establishment," she says in her fake, overly sweet voice.

I stand, shocked as the doors open and she walks out with The Rat. I'm quickly brought back into reality before the doors close fully. I use my hand to stop it from closing and step out. "You listen up, you old Bitch!" I say.

Mrs. Vanderwillson stops in her tracks and turns around. Her eyes widen in shock, well, I think its shock, I can't really tell with all the Botox.

"You have no right to tell me what to wear, when I come home and who comes home with me. Last time I checked you don't own the building. And what are the fuck are you doing up at four a.m.? We could discuss that! You can take your thoughts and opinions and shove them up your ass! Along with your stupid dog!" I yell.

"Calm down, Miss Steele!" she says trying to calm me down.

"This is calm; and its doctor!" I say and storm back into the elevator.

Christian loos at me, a mixture of shock and amusement appear his handsome face.

Embarrassment suddenly rushes through me and I feel a blush warm my cheeks. _Oh My God! He probably thinks I do this all the time, that I'm an angry drunk who yells at her neighbors. _

"I've never done this before! This is the first time I have ever been drunk and I have never yelled at anyone before, and I don't dance like a slut with strangers, and I never take people home. You probably think I'm some slutty party girl." I stop as tears flood my eyes.

The amused expression leaves his face, replaced with some unknown emotion. "Please don't cry. I don't think you're a slutty party girl. The opposite. I have never had so much fun in my life, or laughed so hard. Your neighbor had it coming. If you didn't say anything, I would have. And for the dancing, I thoroughly enjoyed that." He winks.

_God, he is so sexy!_ I don't respond to what he says, mostly because I don't know what to say and I don't want to embarrass either of us.

The elevator finally arrives to my floor and we walk into my apartment.

"This is very fitting of you," Christian says as we walk to the kitchen.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"It's colorful, and at the same time classic, just like you," he says.

"Thanks…I guess. Do you want anything to drink?" I ask, suddenly nervous. I've never had a guy in my apartment before.

"I don't think drinking anymore is a good idea. I don't want you to bitch me out," he says laughing.

"Ha-ha, very funny," I respond, sarcastically.

I put some popcorn in the microwave and lead Christian into the living room. "Okay, I'm going to put in the first season. Make yourself at home while I get the popcorn ready," I tell him.

"Just the first season? No stalker marathon?" he asks, amusement laces his voice.

"I'm too drunk to figure it out, next time," I promise.

He sits on the big couch directly across the TV as I put the first season into the DVD player. Then I go into the kitchen and put the plain popcorn into a bowl, I grab some bitter sweet chocolate chips and melt them in the microwave. I put in some vanilla then pour the chocolate into the bowl with the popcorn. I wet a few paper towels to clean our hands.

I walk into the living room carrying the popcorn and towels. When I get into the living room I see that Christian has removed his shoes and put his feet up on the couch.

"I hope you don't mind, my ankle was bothering me," he explains as I put the popcorn down on the coffee table.

"It's alright," I say. I sit opposite Christian on the couch, kick my heels off and let them fall near his shoes. I sit back and pull my knees in, so as not to disturb Christian.

"Lay down your feet," he commands. I do as I'm told and he moves so that my feet are between his. I reach for the popcorn and put it between us on the couch and I turn the TV on.

"What is this?" Christian asks looking at the popcorn.

"It's chocolaty popcorn. My aunt used to make it when I was a kid. Just try it," I insist.

He hesitates but takes a few cornels of popcorn and plops them in his mouth. I watch him carefully as he chews. His perfect jaw clenches and relaxes, then a wide grin spread across his face.

"Good right?" I ask.

"It's amazing!" he reaches back into the bowel and pulls out a handful of popcorn.

"Okay be careful, new couches," I say and grab the wet paper towels. I hand him one and he wipes his hands.

"Alright lets do this!" I say after pressing play. I look back at Christian and see that he has chocolate all around his lips. I start laughing.

"What?" he asks.

I reach over and wipe the chocolate from his face using my wet towel. As I pull my and away he grabs it and puts my thumb in his mouth. I feel his tongue graze the pad of my thumb, every muscle south of my waist clenches and I suppress a moan. He pulls my thumb out of his mouth and kisses it.

"You had chocolate on your thumb," he explains, and shrugged his shoulders. A wicked gleam shines in his eyes.

I turn towards the TV just as the opening scene starts. We watch the first episode and give little explanations on each of the characters. I fan girl about the delicious Dr. Reid, which Christian finds hilarious.

As we begin the second episode my eyelids get heavy, I lean against the cushions and slumber envelopes me.

It's very quiet, the light is muted and I'm too hot. I open my eyes, and quickly close them. After a couple of tries I can finally open my eyes without pain. For a moment I'm relaxed, enjoying the serene familiarity of my room.

It takes a few seconds for my brain to process the horrible pounding in my head. I close my eyes again and lean against the pillow. The pounding in my head is unbelievable.

I go to kick the cover off, to give myself relief from the scorching heat, when I realize that something I holding my left leg down.

My eyes snap open and I look down and my heart skips a beat. Christian Grey is laying in my bed, with his head on my chest and one of his arms draped around my waist.

**So what did everyone think? I am very happy with how the drunk night ended. Now we just have to find out how the Morning After goes down...And how Christian and Ana got into bed together…**

'**Till next week!**

**Please comment and check out the Pinterest page!**

**-Lily **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! Hope you are all enjoying your summer. Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews, I love reading them! I've been on vacations, I have had a lot of time to write by the pool. I added a few other pictures on the Pinterest board. This chapter is my longest one to date. We are still in the morning after for this chapter and the next, Christina and Ana are still getting to know each other so there are a lot more funny, snarky conversations. Hope you all enjoy it! Please review and let me know what you think and check out the Pinterest board! The link is in my bio.**

**Also I want to thank SuzB for your lovely reviews, I would love to respond to your lovely comments, but you are not logged in. Thank you so much! **

He looks so peaceful when he's asleep, he looks so much younger. His long lashes caressed his cheeks and his lips slightly parted. I've never seen anything so hot in my life.

_Holy shit! Did we have sex? _My subconscious rears its ugly head again.

I freeze, panic and adrenaline rush through me. _Okay, Ana, relax_, I tell myself. I lift the covers and take a peak.

I'm still wearing my corset and Christian is in his T-shirt and boxer briefs. Okay, we have clothes on, that's a good sign. I breathe out a sigh of relief.

I let the covers fall and flop down on my pillow. My sudden movements wake Christian up.

He blinks a few times, then lifts his head up. He looks at me with a bemused expression on his face, which quickly changes to one of realization and embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he says breaking the silence. He untangles himself from me and sits up against the pillows. His arms folded behind his head; a calm expression on his face.

He looks down his nose at me. "Good morning, Anastasia, how do you feel?"

"Better than I deserve," I reply timidly.

I peek up at him. He's staring at me, gray eyes dark, and as usual I have no idea what he's thinking; he hides his thoughts and feelings well.

"How did I get here? More importantly, how did you get into my bed?" My voice small, contrite; scared of the answer.

He sits up further against the headboard. He's close enough to touch, for me to smell. Oh my… body wash, freshly washed linens, and Christian. It's a heady cocktail- so much better than any Cosmo, and now I know from experience.

"After you fell asleep, I decided you would be more comfortable in your own bed, so I put you to bed. And it was too late to call Taylor, so I just decided to sleep here," he says impassively.

"Did you undress me?" I whisper.

"Yes." He quirks an eyebrow at me as I blush furiously.

"Did we-" I trail off suggestively. My voice drying in mortified horror as I can't finish the question.

"Anastasia, you were comatose. Necrophilia is not my kink. I like my women sentient and receptive," he says dryly.

"I'm sorry, but you undressed me, and slept in my bed with me, all while I was drunk. What else am I supposed to think?" I ask.

His mouth lifts slightly in a wary smile.

"It was a very interesting evening, not one I will soon be forgetting." He laughs.

The fucking bastard is laughing at me. I didn't ask him to come and save me, this is in no way my fault. "You didn't have to track me down with whatever James Bond gadgetry you're developing for the highest bidder," I snap.

He stares at me, surprised and, if I'm not mistaken, a little wounded. "First, the technology to track phones is available over the internet. Second, my company doesn't invest in, or manufacture any kind of surveillance devices. And third, if I hadn't come to get you, you'd probably be waking up in that guys bed, and from what I can remember, you weren't overly enthused about him pressing his suit," he responds acidly.

_Pressing his suit!_ I glance up at Christian. He's glaring at me, eyes blazing, aggravated. I bit my lip, trying to suppress my laughter.

"Which medieval chronical did you come from? You sound like a courtly knight."

His mood visibly lightens, his expression warms and his eyes soften, a trace of a smile plays on his lips.

"Anastasia, I don't think so. Dark knight maybe." His smile is sardonic and he shakes his head.

"My head is killing me," I groan and fall back against the pillow.

"Did you drink anything other than alcohol last night?" his tone is accusatory. What major transgression did I commit now?

"The Fiji water you gave me to drink in the club," I answer sheepishly.

His jaw clenches, but his face remains passive.

"You need to drink, you can easily get dehydrated! For Christ's sake you're a doctor, you should know this. At least you ate before drinking." He runs his fingers through his hair and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Are you going to keep scolding me?" I ask.

"Is that what I'm doing?"

"Yes!"

"You're lucky I'm just scolding you," he growls at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you were mine, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week after the stunt you pulled last night. You got drunk; you put yourself at risk." He closes his eyes, dread etched briefly on his face, and he shudders. When he opens his eyes again, he glares at me. "I hate to think what could have happened to you."

I scowl back at him. What is his fucking problem, he was fine last night, so carefree, now it's like he has a stick up his ass. What's it to him? If I was his…well I'm not. Though maybe part of me wants to be. The thought irritates me to no end. "Who the fuck cares! I would have woken up to a stranger but at least THAT guy wouldn't be yelling at me! I would have been fine though, I was with my friends."

"And the guy that was grinding on you on the dance floor?" he asks.

"He's right here in bed with me," I respond.

His expression lightens and he smiles his first genuine smile of the day. Finally!

"I mean the gross one," he explains.

"So do I," I say, stone-faced.

He throws his head back and laughs. "I'm serious how would you handle him?"

"He was just out of line," I say.

His face immediately hardens; his mood swings are giving me whiplash.

"Next time he gets out of line someone should teach him some manners," he hisses.

"You are quite the disciplinarian, Mr. Grey."

"Oh, Anastasia, you have no idea." His eyes narrow, and then he grins wickedly. It's disarming, one minute I'm confused, frustrated, and angry, and then the next, I'm gazing at his gorgeous smile. Wow…I'm entranced, and it's because his smiles are so rare. I quiet forget what he's talking about.

"I'm going to shower. Unless you'd like to shower first," he cocks his head to one side, still grinning. My heartbeat picks up, my medulla oblongata has neglected to fire any synopses to make me breath. His grin widens and he reaches over and runs his thumb down my cheek and across my lower lip.

"Breath, Anastasia," he whispers, then gets out of bed. His boxer briefs do nothing to hide his bulge as they hang of his hips in a way that makes my heart momentarily stop.

"My eyes are up here, Dr. Steele," he says, his laugh bounces around my room.

Blood furiously rushes to my cheeks, and I look up at him. His Cheshire cat grin widens, I feel like a toddler being caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Can't blame a girl for looking." I shrug trying to seem nonchalant, but inside I'm mortified. "Hold on, I'll give you something to wear," I tell him.

"I don't think I can fit into any of your dresses. I'm a curvy size 6," he says.

"I have guy's clothes, and how do you know my dress size? I'm sure that didn't come up on the background check," I say, my voice annoyed.

"First why do you have men's clothes? Second it said it on the back of your dress," he explains.

"Oh okay. My friend stays over occasionally. And he is about the same size as you. He leaves his clothing hanging around everywhere," I explain.

"The same friend you told me about before? The one that's NOT your boyfriend?" he asks, a strange emotion appears on his face, could it be jealousy?

"The same. He lives in New York, he's a hockey player, so when he comes to visit he stays with me," I say. I kick the covers off and get out of bed.

"What team d-" Christian goes to ask.

I turn around and I see Christian staring at me, gray eyes dark and hooded, and his boxer briefs a little tighter. I decide to tease him a bit; I lift me arms and stretch, the corset already pushes my boobs up and this just gives Christian an uninhabited view of my cleavage.

"What were you saying?" I ask innocently.

"What team does he play for?" Christian says after a few seconds, finally gathering his wits. _We can't have that, _my subconscious says.

I turn back around and walk to my dresser, I slowly bend down and grab a black silk robe. I feel his eyes on me, I turn around again only to see Christian shamelessly checking me out. "My eyes are up here, Mr. Grey," I say, much like he did a few minutes ago.

"Can't blame a guy for looking; especially when you are wearing that. I know exactly what you're doing, and I like it." He winks.

"Kiss my ass, Grey," I say as I put my robe on.

"I would love to, but I'm not going to touch you until you sign the paperwork. Where is the bathroom?" he asks. He walks towards me and tucks my hair behind my ear, then traces his thumb across my cheek and to my lips.

"It's the door to the left and the towels are on the right side of the door," I say, his thumb still on my lower lip. He turns and walks to the bathroom.

_What does he mean by paperwork?_

I find my clutch on the kitchen counter, I reach in and pull out my phone.

Oh wow, it's already 10:30. I unlock my phone and call and order brunch. God bless America, you can have anything delivered.

Then I call Nick, to see where he leaves his clothes. He answers on the third ring.

"Hey, love bug," Nick's cheerful voice comes through the speaker.

"Hello, lover," I respond seductively.

"Oh, that was hot. Kinda turned me on, yup, defiantly rocking a semi." He laughs.

"Umm…gross. I need you-"

"Oh, baby, I've been waiting for you to say that since 10th grade," he cuts me off.

"Let me finish! I need you to tell me where you leave your clothes here," I say.

"How do you not know?"

"I don't know half the shit I have in here," I answer.

"I keep them in the closet of the guestroom near the living room," he responds.

"Alright, thanks, bye," I say.

"Wait! Why do you need them?" he asks curiously.

"No reason, bye," I hang up.

I go the guest room and grab Christian a cream sweater and light wash blue jeans. I bring the clothes to my room and set them on the bed.

I look at the bathroom door. Right now I want to go in and join him. I've never felt this way before, about anyone. My hormones are racing. My skin tingles where his thumb traced over my face and lower lip. I'm squirmy with a needy, achy…discomfort. I don't understand this reaction. Hmm… desire. This is desire.

I lie back on the soft feather-filed pillows._ If you were mine._ Oh my- what would I do to be his? He's the only man that has ever made me act like this, he's the only one who has ever set the blood racing through my body. Yet he's so antagonizing, he's difficult, complicated and confusing.

One minute he rejects me, the next he sends me first additions of some of my favorite books, _who did he even know I liked those books?_ Then he tracks me down like a stalker. And for all that he spent the night with me in my apartment and I feel safe with him. He's not a dark knight at all, but a white knight in shining armor- or a classic romantic hero like Heathcliff or Sir Lancelot.

The bathroom door opens, cutting my train of thought short. He emerges from the bathroom wet and glistening from the shower, with a towel around his waist. Drops of water drip down his chiseled chest. God, how I would love to lick the water off his chest!

"The clothes are on the bed, they should fit. I'm going to take a shower now," I say, hurrying past him, eager to get away from the unnerving proximity of naked Christian Grey. Michelangelo's David has nothing on him.

Once in the bathroom I can relax; just being in the same room as him makes me nervous. What are we going to do after we have breakfast? Is he just going to stay here all day? What did he mean by paperwork? Questions continue to flood my head. I take a deep breath as I stare at myself in the mirror. I looks hot! My hair is wild and the corset extenuates my curves and my tits looks great! At least I look good, that gives me a little more confidence.

I take a couple of calming breaths then turn the shower on. I strip out of my corset, careful to hang it, and step into the already wet shower. The fact that Christian has been in this shower a few minutes ago makes me hot and bothered. I make quick work of washing my body, making sure not to wet my hair, I finally have a good hair day, and I'm not going to ruin that.

I make sure that I shave my legs and underarms again, just in case. When I get out of the shower I pat myself dry then apply my favorite lotion, Dior Poison. I play with my hair until it falls around my shoulders in waves, it looks sexy. I decide to forgo putting on makeup, I don't want to seem like I'm trying too hard.

I wrap a towel around myself and walk out of the bathroom. I find Christian sitting on my bed, dressed in the clothes I left him, they fit perfectly, and for a moment I just stand there staring at him. The sweater clings to the muscles on his arms and they ripple when he moves to stand.

"Hi," I say. He just nods, the look on his face is cold, giving nothing away, but from the look in his eyes I can tell he's mad, and something else, hurt?

"What's wrong?" I ask, concerned. When I saw him a few minutes ago he was in such good spirits.

"Nick called, he wanted to know why you hung up, Love bug," he says sarcastically.

"Oh, that's what this is about? He is just my friend. We are flirty, and it's none of your business!" I say defending myself.

"Brunch is here. I'll leave you to get dressed," he says and walks away without a second glance.

A part of me is flattered that he's jealous, but I'm mostly pissed off. He has no right to be angry with me! Nick is my best friend and what is he? He can't be possessive of me, we just met each other and quite frankly, I don't know if anything could happen between us. He's always so moody, it's like he's permanently PMSing.

Go into my closet and pull out some tiffany blue shorts and a stripped light sweater, its white with cream stripes. I quickly put it on and head out to the kitchen. Christian is sitting on one of the barstool on the island holding his blackberry.

He looks up when I open a drawer but says nothing. He just watches me move around the kitchen. His gaze makes me self-conscious.

"Can you make some coffee? The coffee maker is right there, everything you need is in the drawer underneath it," I say, pointing out the coffee maker.

He just nods and gets off the barstool.

"Are you going to keep ignoring me? If so can I at least know why?" I ask, desperate to end the silence.

"You said you were just friends, but he the way he answered the phone makes it seem like you too are a lot more than 'just friends'," he says.

"So you're jealous?" I ask, this is unbelievable.

"I don't know, I've never felt like this before, you bring out emotions in me that I don't know how to handle. It's off-putting," he says.

"I told you the truth about Nick and I are just being friends. We have always acted like this, but it doesn't mean anything. And anyways you have no right to be jealous, what are we anyways? What is going on here?" I say gesturing to the area between us.

"As I told you last night, I can't stay away from you. For God's sake, I even slept in the same bed as you, I've never done that before." He runs his fingers through his hair.

What does that mean? He's a virgin? But he said he likes his women receptive, I can't keep up with him.

"But that doesn't mean you can be angry. I still don't understand what is going on here," I say exasperated.

"I told you last night, I can't stay away from you," he says.

"And I told you not to," I whisper.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"Enlighten me then," I respond. I set up two places and put food on both out plates. I sit on one of the barstools and he comes and sits next to me.

"Are you celibate?" I ask, then quickly shut my mouth. My brain to mouth filter seems to have disappeared.

"No, I am not celibate, Dr. Steele," he says smirking at me. Good to see he regained his good humor.

"What are you doing the rest of the weekend?" he asks.

"I have today off, but I work tomorrow until Wednesday, then I have Thursday off and I work till Friday night, and have the rest of the weekend off," I say.

"How long are your shifts?" he asks.

"I am on call for 36 hours so I am usually in the hospital for the majority of the time. But this week I only have 5 scheduled surgeries, so I will be doing rounds and paperwork, unless there are emergencies," I explain.

"Do you have any plans next weekend?" he asks. He has his elbows on the table his chin resting on his long, slender fingers.

"No, I don't," I answer. Where is this going?

"I'd like to bite that lip," he says, his voice low, seductive.

"Why don't you?" I respond in the same tone of voice.

"I told you, I'm not going to touch you without paperwork," he says sternly.

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly what I said," he sighs and shakes his head at me, amused but exasperated. "I need to show you, what time do you have to be in tomorrow?" he asks.

"I'm on call starting at 4 a.m., why can't you tell me now?" I ask.

"Because I am enjoying your company and once you know you will probably run for the hills and never want to see me again."

There he goes again, being all cryptic. What could possibly be so horrible that I wouldn't want to see him again? Does he sell white-slave children to some godforsaken country? Is he a drug lord? Is he impotent? Not that can't be it, he's proven that already. A blush creeps up and I feel the heat on my cheeks. I'd like to solve the riddle that is Christian Grey sooner rather than later. If this secret he's keeping is that bad that I won't want to see him again than quite frankly it will be a relief. _Don't kid yourself,_ my subconscious snares.

"Tonight?" I ask.

"We won't have enough time tonight. I would much rather you spend next weekend at my place," he says.

_He wants me to spend the weekend at his place?!_

**How was that? Hopefully you all enjoyed it; the next chapter will be up shortly and we'll see how the rest of their day went, also another elevator scene…**

**Please review and check out the Pinterest board!**

**-Lily**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! This is the soonest I've ever posted a chapter and it's the longest! Let's all be excited because this doesn't happen often. I will try my hardest to get the next chapter out by this weekend; I want to get a lot done before I go back to school. **

**So this next chapter is Christian and Ana and the grocery store; what could possible go wrong? And we get to see how Christian interacts with Ana's friends, this should be fun. I want to do a couple more chapters before I get to the Big Reveal. All I can say is it will be intense. As many of you have guessed Ana is not going to go down without a fight. **

**Also I want to thank you all for your amazing reviews, I love reading and responding to what you guys have to say. As for the guest reviewer Lectora, all your questions will be answered in this chapter, my dear. As for "Guest" I don't know what the oath has to do with anything, and we'll just have to wait and see if she signs the NDA. **

**For everyone else thank you again for reviewing and following the story, I am honored that you take the time to read. Also I added pictures to the Pinterest page, everyone go check it out; I put pictures of Nick, Enoska, Karian, Ana, and the delicious Mr. Christian Grey. The link is in my bio. **

**Enjoy! -Lily**

"But I want to know," I whine.

"Just like Eve, so eager to eat from the tree of knowledge." He smirks.

I sigh in defeat, okay, I can wait one week. "Alright, next weekend it is then."

A satisfied smile plays on his lips then he turns and finishes up the brunch. "You need to eat," he commands.

"I'm full, it's too much food," I respond.

"At least finish your plate, I have a problem with wasting food," he says with intensity. I decide to force down the rest of the food, no need to make him angry.

Once I finish I grab both our plates and put them in the dishwasher. I look up and see Christian regarding me intently, resting his chin on his hands.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" he asks.

"Why?"

"I want to know what we're doing," he says with a shrug, his face impassive, with only a hint of humor in his eyes.

"I wasn't aware we were spending the day together," I say.

"I would like to; unless, of course, you want me to go," he says, his face still calm but his voice is laced with hurt.

"No, I would love for you to stay; it will be a little boring though, I have a lot of stuff to do," I explain.

"I have nothing else to do. So what's on the agenda?" he asks again.

"Well, first I have to go pick up Enoska and Karina and bring them here to get their cars, then I need to go grocery shopping, then we can do a late lunch, and finally I need to go to Toys-R-US," I say.

"Okay, let's go." He stands up, ready to go.

"Not so fast, I need to grab some clothes to bring to the dry cleaners." I rush out of the kitchen and into my room. I grab my dress of the floor, along with the corset and a few other dresses that need to be washed and put them in my laundry bag. I walk back out a few minutes later and find Christian on the phone.

"They want two?...How much will that cost?...Okay, and what safety measures do we have in place?...And they'll go via Sue?...How safe is Ben Sudan? And when do that arrive in Darfur?...Okay, let's do it. Keep me abreast of the progress." He hangs up.

"Ready to go?" he asks.

"I just need to brush my teeth," I inform him. A strange look comes across his face, almost guilty.

I rush back into the bathroom and pick up my toothbrush; it's wet. He used my toothbrush? I don't know how I feel about that.

I put some toothpaste on it and start to brush my teeth; it's like having him in my mouth, I suddenly feel naughty. After I finish I walk back into the kitchen. I find Christian leaning against the counter, a mischievous look on his face. "You used my toothbrush?" I ask in an accusatory tone.

"I needed to brush my teeth," he says completely calm, no shame what so ever. He picks up my laundry bag and gestures for me to go ahead. "After you, Dr. Steele," he says.

We walk out of my apartment and I make sure to lock the door, on the way to the elevator I shoot Enoska a quick text; both she and Karina are at her place so I will pick them up from there.

We wait for the elevator in silence, after a few seconds the doors swiftly open and we walk in. Once the doors close the electric pull is back, and stronger than last night. I looks up at Christian and I notice him staring at me, eyes dark and pupil's dilated.

"Fuck the paperwork." He drops the laundry bag and he lunges at me, pushing me against the wall of the elevator, the metal bar presses uncomfortably against my back but at this moment I don't give a fuck. Before I know it, he's got both my hands in one of his in a viselike grip above my head, and he's pinning me against the wall using his hips. Holy shit! His other hand grabs my hair and yanks down, brining my face up, and he crushes his lips on mine, it's almost painful. I gasp in surprise, this gives his tongue an opening. He takes full advantage, his tongue expertly explores my mouth. My tongue tentatively strokes his and joins his in a slow, erotic dance that's all about touch and sensation. He lets go of my hair and his hand moves around my waist, pulling me closer. I feel his erection against my stomach. I can't move, not that I want to; I'm powerless and it's the hottest thing I've ever experienced. He pulls away slightly and bites me lower lip, igniting another moan from me. The elevator starts to slow down and he lets go of my lower lip and presses his lips against me. "You. Are. So. Sweet." He says between each small kiss.

He lets go of me just in time for the doors to open. My knees buckle and I can't catch my breath, it's like I just ran a marathon in the desert. My heart rate is through the roof. _Holy shit! _

I lean against the railing and looks up at him, he looks like his usual calm, collected self. How unfair.

"Dr. Steele." I hear someone say. For the first time I realize that someone came into the elevator. I look up to see Dr. Bernard, a middle aged, cardio-surgeon.

"Dr. Bernard." I nod at him. I just want to die of embarrassment.

When the elevator finally stops Christian grabs my hand and leads me out, a trace of a smile on his lips. "What is it about elevators," he says, more to himself than to me. We stop in the middle of the lobby, I look up at him confused.

"Where is your car?" he asks.

"Hmm?" I ask, my wits are still scattered after that kiss.

A full blown grin spreads across his beautiful face. "Your car, Dr. Steele? We need to pick your friends."

Suddenly everything comes back, I take a deep breath and shake my head. "Oh, yeah, this way," I say and lead him outside. Thankfully we decided to park across the street last night, instead of the underground garage, if I had to go back into that elevator I may jump him.

I open the car and he reaches and opens my door, then puts the laundry in the back seat and gets into the passenger seat.

We sit in silence as I pull out into traffic. I force myself to concentrate on driving, which is not easy. He hasn't mentioned the outburst of passion that exploded in the elevator. Should I? Should we talk about it or pretend like it never happened? It hardly seems real; maybe I imagined it. I touch my swollen lips, no, it definitely happened.

"Do you have any music?" he asks after a few minutes of silence.

"I have this amazing think called a radio, if you press the button there, it will play any song you want," I say, my voice laced with sarcasm.

I turn to face him just as a smile tugs on his lips. He takes his phone out of his pocket and plugs it into the iPod doc. The car interior is filled with the sweetest, most magical music of two women signing.

"What are we listening to?" I ask.

"The Flower duet by Delibes, from the opera _Lakmé_. Do you like it?" he responds.

"It's wonderful, Christian," I answer.

"Isn't it?" he grins at me. He looks so young when he does that; so carefree and fun, he reminds me of the Christian I got to know last night. Is this the key to him? Music?

"Can you play it again?" I ask as the song winds to an end.

He presses repeat and sits back against the seat and stares at me intently.

"What?" I ask suddenly self-conscious.

"I'm just watching you," he says as if it's the most natural thing on the planet.

"Why?"

"You're fascinating," he answers.

"Well, thank you." I glance at him and smile. "So you like classical music," I say.

"My taste in music is eclectic, Anastasia, I like anything from Thomas Tallis to Kings of Leon. Depending on my mood. You?"

"Same, though I have no idea who Thomas Tallis is, but I mostly prefer country," I say. I turn and see him grimace.

"I'll play it for you sometime, he's a sixteenth-century composer, Tudor, mostly does Choral music. As for country, well, I'm not the biggest fan."

"That's only because you haven't heard good country music," I insist.

"There is no such thing as good country music," he says, a grin plastered on his mouth.

I say nothing as I pull into the dry cleaners and get out. I open one of the back doors to grab my clothes but Christian beat me to it. He is getting annoying.

We walk into the dry cleaners and drop my clothes off; we are out of there in less than five minutes. Now to pick up Enoska and Karina, hopefully they don't embarrass me. I'm dreading this.

When we get into the car and unplug Christian's phone, I flip through the stations until I find a country station. Sam Hunts "Leave the night on" blares through the speakers.

I turn and smile sweetly at Christian, who gives me an exasperated look. He reaches to the sound system. "You touch that and I will leave you right here," I threaten.

He quickly moves his hand away and laughs. "Okay, Okay." He raises his hands in defeat as I pull into traffic.

We reach a red light just as the second chorus starts to play. I turn to him and start singing. "Girl you got the beat right, killin' in your Levis, high on your lovin's got me buzzin' like a streetlight, it's still early out in Cali, Baby, don't you wanna rally again we'll find a road with no name, lay back in the slow lane-" The car behind me honks loudly and I look up and see that it's green. I quickly press down on the accelerator and go.

Christian is hysterically laughing behind me. "There is no boring moment with you, Dr. Steele."

"Glad to know I entertain you, Mr. Grey," I snare at him.

"I have to admit this song is catchy; so as ever you proved your point," he says, trying to get on my good side again.

"I always do." I grin; I love playful Christian.

_You what? _My subconscious chokes out. I decide to ignore her and concentrate on driving.

Just as the next song starts the sound cuts off and my phone rings. I look at the screen and it show that the hospital is calling. "Answer," I say and the ringing stops.

"Dr. Steele."

"Hi, Dr. Steele," Nurse Angie's voice comes through the speakers.

"Is everything alright with Anthony?" I ask, my mind immediately goes to Little Anthony.

"That's what I was calling you about, he just woke up and Dr. T had them run another MRI and the bleeding has stopped but the swelling is still there," she informs me.

"Oh thank god the bleeding stopped. As for the cerebral edema, push 2 cc's Barbiturates, and angle his body at 30 degrees," I tell her.

"Shouldn't I give him Mannitol?" she asks.

"Normally, yes, but I don't want to risk another hemorrhage and Barbiturates slows the blood flow. I will be stopping by to check on him later. Thank you Angie," I say and hang up.

"Who's Anthony?" Christian asks after I hang up.

"He's a patient, he was brought in yesterday. He's five and he was taken from an abusive home; I don't know the details but he has some serious injuries." I turn to face Christian as I park the car in front of Enoska's building. His lips are in a tight line and a pained look crosses his face briefly. This seems to hit a nerve with him.

"So you are going to check on him?" he asks.

"I was planning on going to Toys-R-Us to buy him a few toys; he came in with a little, dirty teddy bear. It broke my heart, he's such a sweet boy. I stayed with him until he fell sleep, poor baby was terrified," I continue, tears start to form in my eyes when I think about Anthony.

Christian gives me a small, sad smile. "Well, he's lucky to have such a great doctor."

I smile shyly at him and grab my phone to call Enoska. She answers on the first ring. "Hey, I'm here, get down!" I say and hang up.

"That was rude," Christian says with a chuckle.

I just shrug. A few seconds later the rear doors open and in slide Enoska and Karina. I turn to look at them; both of them are wearing sunglasses and they don't seem to be doing so well. Karina turns to me and mouths, "OMG!"

"Karina, Enoska, this is Christian. Christian this is Enoska and Karina," I introduce them.

Christian gives a polite smile and says. "Hello ladies."

"Hi, Christian, nice to officially meet you. We didn't get the chance last night when you were grinding on our friend," Karina says in her usual sweet voice, and gives me an accusatory look.

That bitch! I just glare at her and she smirks back. Christian just sits back against his seat, shocked.

I take a deep breath and pull out onto the street, the faster I get back home the less chance there is of another comment like that. As I stop at a red light the screen in the car lights up. "New message," the voice says.

"Read it," I answer. It's probably Nurse Angie giving me an update.

"Message from Enoska: Please tell me you fucked this hot piece of a-" I quickly press the button on my steering wheel and Siri's voice disappears.

I turn to Christian and see a smile tugging at his lips. "I'm glad you're enjoying this," I snap at him.

"I don't think I have ever had this much fun," he whispers back. Then louder he says, "Thank you, Enoska."

"No problem," She responds. She and Karina break out laughing along with Christian. Am I the only one not enjoying this?

"Ana, what happened to your lips?" Enoska asks.

I immediately blush and look over at Christian; my mind drifts to the kiss. "What? Nothing happened to my lips," I say, desperately trying to keep my voice even.

I meet Enoska's gaze in the rearview mirror and she gives me an I-don't-believe-you look but drops it.

I quickly drive back to my apartment, thankfully the traffic is light and it only takes about 10 minutes.

"I like you, Christian, you seem cool," Karina says.

"Thank you," he responds.

"I hate all of you!" I say acidly as I pull into the underground garage of my apartment.

"Oh shit, Christian, you are in trouble; good luck!" Karina says as she and Enoska exist the car. They walk around the car and wave to me, in return I flip them of. Bitches!

"Your friends are fun," Christian says as I pull out of the garage and onto the street.

I just nod in response. I am not talking to him. He chooses the worst moments to be fun and playful.

"Are you angry with me?" he asks, concern prevalent in his voice.

"Yes! That was so embarrassing, my friends aren't fun! They are little assholes," I snap.

"You are overreacting," he says.

I turn and glare at him, then quickly turn back to the road. "How would you feel if your friends did that?" I ask.

"I don't really have any friends," he says, his voice is even, but there is an underlying sadness.

"Well, you're about the have one less friend," I say.

"We're friends?" he asks and tilts his head to the side slightly.

"I don't know, I guess. I mean what are we? Friends is the easiest think go call it, at least for now," I tell him. My mind immediately goes back to the kiss and I touch my lips.

"Friends," Christian says, testing out the word, then he makes a face.

"What?" I ask.

"You're my first normal 'friend'. Another first, Dr. Steele," he says and puts air quotes around the word 'friends'.

"What does that mean? You are so cryptic," I say.

"You'll know everything next weekend," he says and sighs.

"Why do you act like that's a bad think?" I ask.

"Because then I will really lose a 'friend'," he says, using air quotes.

"Why do you keep using air quotes?" I ask, laughing as I park the car in the Wholefoods parking lot.

"I feel like just friend is too casual." He shrugs and looks at my lips. He must be thinking about the kiss too. _Should I say something?_ I think as I walk around the car to where he's waiting for me.

"You really should let me open your door," he says, reprimanding me. He takes my hand in his and we start walking toward the grocery store.

"What a gentleman." I laugh.

"Are you laughing at me, Dr. Steele?" he asks, a smirk tugs at the corner of his lips.

"No! Wait, we need a cart," I say as he goes to walk through the doors of the store.

I let his hand go and run to where to carts are and take one. I walk back only to see him staring at me with a bemused expression on his face.

"I assume you don't do this often," I say to him. I bite my lip to keep from laughing, Christian's eyes follow my movements and his eyes darken.

"No, I've never gone grocery shopping," he says in a way that makes it seem like he's talking about something naughty. He reaches his and towards me and uses his thumb to pull out my bottom lip from between my teeth.

I hear someone cough loudly, I turn and see a women with a toddler in her cart glaring at us; I realize that we are blocking the entrance. What is wrong with us? We seem to have intense moments in the most inappropriate places.

"Sorry," I tell her. I push the cart into the building and Christian follows beside me, walking with easy confidence.

"Okay, let's do this. Let's pop your grocery shopping cherry," I say to him.

He looks at me, a bewildered expression on his face, then he breaks out laughing. "You really have a way with words, Dr. Steele. Lead the way," he says.

We walk into the store and I head over to the first aisle; I have nothing at home so I'm going to need to stock up on everything. Christian follows behind me, quietly looking around the store.

The first aisle is fruits and vegetables, I walk around and grab a couple of organic tomatoes.

"Why are you only getting two? I think you'll need more than that," Christian says from his place by the cart.

"I'm one person, and I work about 100 hours a week; most of my meals are hospital food. I don't want to waste produce so I only grab what I need," I explain.

He nods in understanding and a smile appears on his handsome face. "Do you need any help?" he asks, he looks so domestic standing in the middle of the store. It seems so alien for someone like him to be standing in a simple Wholefoods grocery store.

"Yeah, why don't you grab a couple of bell peppers," I tell him.

He nods and walks over to the pepper area with purpose. I turn back to my shopping and a few seconds later he comes back with two Chili peppers in his hand and holds them out to me. I look at him, then the peppers, then back at him. "What is this?"

"You wanted peppers; I got you peppers," he says, looking at me like I'm the dumb one.

"First I wanted bell peppers and second you put them in a bag," I tell him, trying desperately not to laugh.

He looks down at his hands then back at me, a confused expression dominates his features. He uses the hand that's not holding the peppers and scratches the back of his head. He looks downright hilarious standing there, I can barely contain my laughter. He runs a multi-billion dollar company but he doesn't know the difference between a bell pepper and a chili pepper.

I grab his hand and lead him to the pepper area. "Okay, Christian. Do you see the signs above each different type of pepper? They're not just there for decoration. Do you see this round pepper-"I hold up a bell pepper. "It looks like a bell doesn't it? And look at the sign above it-Bell pepper," I explain in the voice that my sister uses to talk to her Kindergarteners.

"Are you mocking me, Dr. Steele?" Christian says after I finish my little speech.

"What are you going to do about it?" I respond, looking at him through my lashes. I hear his sharp intake of breath. He drops the peppers back onto the pile and reaches over to me and wraps his long fingers around the belt loops on either side of my hips and pulls me towards him.

My breathing stops as he leans in and whispers in a low seductive voice, "Don't tempt me, Anastasia."

_Oh God_, he's so close, is he going to kiss me again?

I get my answer when he moves his face away slightly and kisses my cheek; disappointment rushes through me. He pulls away and smiles at me wickedly; he knows exactly what he's doing. I huff and stomp back to the cart. He grabs the correct peppers and a bag then follows after me.

"There, happy know?" he asks, dangling the peppers in front of my face.

"Just put them in the cart," I snap.

"Are you angry with me again? I have never had anyone mad at me so often." He smirks.

"I'm sure there are; they are just afraid to say anything. You are a very infuriating man," I tell him.

"And you are a very infuriating women," he fires back.

There is so much I want to say but I decide to bit my tongue.

"What else do you need?" he asks sweetly.

"Oh no, I'll get it myself, just stand here and don't touch anything!" I laugh.

He pouts- _Holy shit, that's sexy_-but otherwise does what he's told. We get through the rest of the store with minimal damage. Christian just follows me with the cart, he occasionally picks up a few items and examines them then puts them back on the shelf. I don't know what he's looking for or if there is any pattern to what he picks up, so I don't mention it.

When we are halfway through the cereal aisle Christian freezes and his eyes widen. I stop walking, curious at what initiated this reaction from the usually calm and collected Mr. Grey.

He turns to me, a giant, face spilling, childlike grin is plastered on his face. "They make Reese's cereal?" he asks as if it's the greatest thing on the planet.

I can't hold back my laughter at his childlike actions. "Apparently," I say.

"Reese's are my favorite," he says as a way of explaining his irrational reaction; he seems a little embarrassed as he pulls himself back together.

"Do you want to get them?" I ask.

He looks at me and nods. I gesture to the cart and he puts the box in. Who would have guessed, the usually stoic CEO freaks over cereal?

He seems so different from this morning or the first time I met him; he seems relaxed. A little hope begins starts to rise, maybe I have something to do with this.

"You know they make Reese's ice cream, too." I inform him.

"Where is the ice cream aisle?" he asks. This makes me laugh.

"I don't appreciate you laughing at me, Dr. Steele," he says in mock anger.

"Then stop making me laugh," I say and shrug.

"I make you laugh?" he asks, some strange emotion colors his voice. "I've never been accused of that before," he says wistfully.

"You're a pretty funny guy, Mr. Grey," I tell him, a slight blush colors my cheeks.

"I think it's just you who brings out this side of me," he says, his voice intense.

I don't respond and he doesn't say anything further. We walk to the ice cream aisle and grab the Reese's ice cream bars and some Ben and Jerry's vanilla then we go to check out. We are both quiet, lost in thought.

He is sweet one moment then cryptic the next. It's like he lets himself go then he realizes and just closes off again for some reason. My mind flashes back to his words from earlier, _If you know then I will really lose a 'friend'._ Why? What is he hiding? He seems too good to be true, maybe he is, but I'm falling for him and I think he may be falling for me too. What could be so bad that I would leave him?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Christian's deep, masculine voice cuts through my reverie and brings me back.

"You don't have enough pennies to make me tell you what I was thinking," I say.

"I highly doubt it; I have a lot of pennies," he says with a smirk.

I turn around and roll my eyes and start putting stuff on the belt for the cashier to scan. Christian follows suit and between us we get it done in no time. I move the cart up so that the bagger can put the bags in.

"Really what were you thinking? And don't think I didn't see you roll your eyes," he says.

_How does he know?_ "Why do you need to know what I'm thinking?" I ask.

"I want to get to know you better," he states simply.

"Then ask me questions, I'll answer all of them," I tell him.

"Okay, what were you just thinking?" he asks.

"Except that one," I say laughing.

"That will be $109.57," the cashier says to me. I reach into my purse to grab my debit card, it takes me a few seconds to find it with all the clutter in here. Once I do I look up and see Christian giving his card to the cashier.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I yell at him.

"You were taking too long, there's a line behind us," he says with a shrug.

"Don't slide the card," I tell the cashier.

"Sorry, Miss, I already did," She says apologetically and hands the card back to Christian.

I let out a sigh; this man is going to make me go crazy. "I'm paying you back," I state firmly as we walk to the door.

"Why?" he asks, his expression is confused and a little hurt.

"I can afford to pay for my groceries, why should you pay for them?" I snap.

"Because I can," he replies coolly.

"That doesn't mean you have to. I am paying you back and that's final."

"Like hell you are," he snaps, anger and aggravation flash on his face.

I stop in front of my car and reach into my purse and pull out $110 and hand them to him.

"I am not taking your money; this is ridiculous and quite frankly very rude," he yells at me.

"Take the damn money, Christian!" I wave the money at him.

"I am not taking your money. I don't see why you are making a big deal about this; you were taking too long and the people behind us were getting frustrated. It's a hundred dollars; I can afford it," he says and runs his hands through his hair.

"I don't care that you can afford it! Just take the fucking money, Christian!" I am starting to get really annoyed.

"I'm about to rip that money. Why can't you be like every other girl and just say thank you and move on?" he says, frustration clear in his eyes. His voice is low but the anger is easily heard.

"Because I don't need you to pay for stuff; I don't know the kind of girls you're used to but I can pay for my own shit. What you did was insulting," I yell.

Christian lets out a deep breath, runs both his hands through his hair and looks around. I mirror his actions and see that we have attracted a little crowd.

"Just get in the car, we can finish this discussion in there," he says, his voice quieter but the low tone makes him more intimidating.

"I am not going to get into the car until you take the money," I insist.

"GET IN THE FUCKING CAR, ANASTASIA!" he screams. This startles me, I stare at the ground for a minute, weighing my options and I start to walk to the driver's side. "Passenger side," he says, his voice clipped.

I turn to say something but the look on his face shuts me up quick. His face is hard as stone, his nostrils flared and his eyes are blazing. His mouth is in a tight line; his body language is defensive. I decide against saying anything and get into the passenger side. He is borderline terrifying.

He opens the trunk and puts the groceries in then slams the door shut and walks around to the driver's side and gets in. He adjusts the seat and the mirrors and pulls out. Neither of us say anything.

**So what do you all think? The text in the car thing has actually happened to me, so I thought I would include it. And let's not forget the steamy elevator kiss, I got a little hot writing it. Hopefully Ana and Christian can kiss and make up. Let me know what you think about the fight- who was in the wrong? **

**Thank you all for reading and please follow, favorite, and review! Also check out Pinterest. If you have any question please just PM me. Thank you!**

**-Lily **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews, I loved reading them!**

**So here is the next chapter. I am on fire right now! I didn't want you guy to have to wait too long to find out what happens with the fight. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, it's a bit short but I had to end it there. You will soon understand. **

**So check out the Pinterest page, favorite, follow and review!**

**-Lily**

As we exit the parking lot, I continue to stare out the window. I can't look at him; his outburst was sudden and to be honest, scary. When we get out of the parking lot he takes a left. _Does he even know where we're going?_ I ask myself. I don't dare say anything; I know that if I speak we'll start yelling at each other and I don't want to make things worse.

I take a few calming breaths. The initial shock of being screamed starts to wear off and it quickly gets replaced by anger. _Who the fuck does he think he is?! _He had absolutely no right to yell at me; he's the one that paid for my groceries. Who does that? I barely know him, it's not like we are in a relationship. I can understand that maybe, to him, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but when I wanted to pay him back he should have just taken the money! He's acting as if I'm in the wrong when I did absolutely nothing wrong!

Luke Bryans 'You make me want to' interrupts my train of thought. This is just great, Christian is going to throw another fit. I pick up my phone.

"Hey, Nikki," I say sweetly, mostly to annoy Christian.

"Oh, look who finally answered her phone. Did the guy you were fucking leave?" Nick's harsh voice comes through the speaker.

Are you kidding me? Him,too?

"I cannot deal with your shit right now, Nick, call me back when you want to be a decent person." I hang up the phone. I can't catch a break today.

I sneak a glance at Christian and see a small smirk on his lips. Really? Anger rushes through me and I see red. "I'm glad you enjoyed that, Mr. Grey," I snap at him acidly.

The smirk immediately disappears. "Jesus Christ! You are so difficult," he says, exasperated. He takes one hand of the steering wheel and runs it through his disheveled hair.

"I'm difficult? Don't make me laugh, Christian," I respond. _Is this man serious? _I turn in my seat so that I am facing him instead of the window.

"You are the definition of difficult. So what? I paid for the groceries, there was no need to make such a huge deal; especially in public," he snaps.

"I don't need you to pay for shit! If YOU weren't so difficult you would have just taken the fucking money and I wouldn't need to make a scene! I don't know the kind of women that you're used to, but I'm not some whore, so I don't need your money. I get that you were trying to be nice, but it was embarrassing. You should have just taken the money and all of this would have been avoided. And you had no right to yell at me like that. I'm not a child," I tell him, I try to keep my voice calm but it betrays me and cracks at the end. Tears start to pool in my eyes; Damn it! Every time I get extremely angry I cry. I turn and face the window so Christian doesn't see the tears in my eyes. And I repeat a mantra of '_Don't cry' _as I try to blink away the tears.

I hear him sigh as I watch the streets of Seattle blur past my window. "Ana, I…I'm-"

"Can you just take me home, please," I say. I want to get away from him before I embarrass myself.

"But you need to go to Toys-R-Us," he says lamely. Judging by the sound of his voice he seems completely lost. Welcome the club; I don't know how to react to him. I don't want him to go, but at the same time I don't think I can stand being near him right now. I know that if I look at him, my resolve will break and I'll just give in. But if I go home, what does that mean for us? Will there be an us? I'm so confused.

The car comes to a halt and I realize that we're stuck in a red light. "Please look at me," he says, his voiced is laced with sadness and concern.

I don't listen to him and keep looking out the window, until I feel his hand under my chin. The second he touches me the electric pull starts again. How can someone that angers me so much make me feel like this? This has to be a cruel joke.

He turns my face so that I am facing him. I'm expecting to see the usual impassive, calm look on his face but his expression floors me. He looks lost and terrified, my mind immediately goes to Anthony when I first saw him and my heart clenches. When he sees the tears in my eyes, his expression changes into one of surprise and guilt.

"Anastasia, please, I-"he goes to say but the car behind us startles both of us by honking loudly. Christian and I both jump in fright; two times in less than two hours, it has to be a record. Christian flips the driver off and starts to move.

I feel a smile tug at my lips, then the smile turns into a full blown grin and I start to laugh at the awkwardness and ridiculousness of this whole situation.

"What is so funny?" Christian asks, as he pulls into a random parking lot. Relief evident in his voice.

"You, us, this whole situation," I say through my uncontrollable giggles. "Why are we here, anyways?"

"I want to talk, well, apologize," he says the last word as if it's the dirtiest word on the planet.

"I assume you don't do that often," I tell him.

"I don't think I have ever apologized, Anastasia, another first. So bear with me-"he takes a deep breath. "Okay, first you have to see it from my point of view-"

"That's not how apologies go. They usually start with 'I'm sorry'," I cut in.

"Don't interrupt me!" he snaps.

I make a motion of zipping my lips and locking them with an invisible key. Christian holds out his hand and I drop the imaginary key into it.

A ghost of a smile appears on his lips. "Okay where was I - or right- first you have to understand that I didn't mean anything by it. I would never intestinally insult you, a hundred dollars is nothing to me. And before you say anything, I get that I shouldn't have done that. I have never been in a situation like this, the women that I have been with-

All I'm saying is you have to bear with me, I have never done this before; you bring out feeling and reactions in me that are terrifying and I don't know how to deal with them. And finally I'm sorry for yelling at you but I'm used to people doing what I want whenever I ask and you just kept fighting me. You are always fighting me," he says with a small smile and shakes his head. Then he sits back against the seat and waits for me to process.

His apology only makes him more confusing. Why didn't he finish the sentence about the women he's been with? His words make my head spin and my brain go into overdrive. It frustrates me that he's always so cryptic. I don't know what to make of this new information. I bring out feelings? I can't help but be pleased.

Worry is radiating off him in waves as he waits for my response, so I decide to lighten the mood. I hold my hand out to him and look at him expectantly. He looks at me, a small 'V' appears between his eyebrows from confusion. I point to my lips with my other hand and realization sweeps across his face and a smile play on his lips. A wicked gleam makes his eyes hypnotic gray eyes sparkle.

He makes a show of taking the "key" out of his pan pocket and holds it out in front of me. I reach my hand for the imaginary key but he moves it away, behind his back.

Okay, two can play this game. I look at him through my lashes and give him my best puppy dog eyes expression. His breath hitches and his eyes darken. Oh God!

He leans in closer across the armrest. "Don't move," he commands.

The tone of his voice sends shivers down my spine. He leans in closer and I instinctively tilt my head to meet his.

"Don't move," he repeats sternly, his lips less than an inch away from mine. He stays there for a few seconds, drawing it out. My eyes flutter close as I wait for his lips to touch mine for the second time today. My heartbeat picks up, I can almost hear it pounding. Anticipation fills me. Finally I feel his lips graze mine slightly, the move is tentative, almost shy. He pulls away slightly and I feel myself moving forward.

He leans down again and pushes his lips against mine. My body lights up, sparks rush down my spine. We both gasp at the same time and he deepens the kiss. His tongue slowly makes its way into my mouth, pausing momentarily almost asking for permission. I open my lips slightly wider, his tongue expertly moves into my mouth and we begin a slow, sensual battle for dominance. I'm more confident this time around and I let all my confusion and frustration pour out into the kiss, he mirrors my actions.

This kiss is so different from out first. Where that one was rough this, one is sweet; where the first kiss was passionate, this one is romantic. It's like I kissed a different person this morning.

He tangles his hand in my hair and pulls me closer, if that's even possible. I get confident and I put my hands around his neck and run my fingers through his hair. It's so soft, even better than I ever imagined. He leans in closer and I'm forced down against the door, he's almost laying on top of me, but the armrest keeps me from getting any real contact with him.

I gasp in pleasure when he pulls back slightly and bits then sucks my bottom lip, the action causes my stomach to clench and my panties to get soaked, every nerve ending in my body comes alive.

I move my hands from his hair, down and around his neck. Just as they are about to reach his chest he pushes me away and pulls back. The sudden movement startles me and I open my eyes to see that he is pressed back against the black leather seat and his chest is moving up and down rapidly.

"I said don't move!" he snaps at me.

I'm taken back by his sudden change in mood. What did I do?

"I'm sorry," I say, my voice small. I don't understand what I did wrong, but he looks visibly shaken.

I just sit and wait for him to calm down. He continues to stare blankly out the windshield as his breathing evens out and doesn't turn to looks at me. I just watch him helplessly; countless years of medical training and I am of no use. It's like he's having a panic attack, but why? It's not the kiss, he was fine after the one in the elevator.

"Are you alright?" I ask concern fills my voice.

The sound of my voice seems to snap him out of the trance that he's in. He finally turns to face me, a blush creeps onto his cheeks but other than that his face is cold and impassive again.

"Yes, I am fine, Dr. Steele. Do you still want to go home?" he asks coldly.

Disappointment and sadness rush through me. The Christian that went crazy for Reese's is gone and in his place is the cold CEO I met two weeks ago. Why is he acting like this? What did I do?

He looks at me, his expression politely guarded.

"It doesn't matter," I say, my voice low and I look down.

Without another word he starts the car and pulls out onto the street. We drive for a few minutes, I don't know where we're going because I'm too scared to look anywhere but my hands.

"Anastasia…" Christian's voice pierces the silence in the car.

I look up at him. "What happened a few minutes ago, the kiss; it won't happen again, well, not unless it's premeditated."

I just stare at his profile and the only thought in my head is: _What did I do?_

**So? A little twist at the end. I thought that Christian was being uncharacteristically normal and happy, and we can't have that. So cold, distant Christian is back and Ana is racking her brain trying to figure out why. Hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you and please check out the Pintrest page, link in my bio and review! **

**-Lily**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews! And thank you to everyone who followed the board on Pinterest! This is my longest chapter yet and my favorite so far. As for the last chapter, I know Christian was an ass. Hopefully you will all enjoy how the situation is resolved. I promise Ana won't give in too easy.**

**This chapter will give us a little insight into Ana's past and why she suddenly moved to Seattle. Also we get some cute Ana/Nick time, I don't know how you guys feel about that. I have only heard two types of opinions on Nick; either you love him or you hate him. Let me know what you think about Ana's relationship with Nick. The situations and conversations Ana has with Nick are some that I have actually had with my real best friend, who kindly let me use his name. **

**Anyways, this chapter will be a little intense, and not as light as the others, especially towards the end. You will get little glimpses into Ana's past in the following chapters, hopefully you will like it. I have added new pictures to the Pinterest Board so please follow! Link in my bio. **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think about how Ana handled the argument, her relationship with Nick/ Christian, and the little bits of her past that we see.**

**P.s. Sorry I know this isn't a new chapter, for those who have read 12 before. My chapters got all messed up, so I had to repost the story. Sorry for the inconvenience! **

**-lily**

I continue to stare at Christian in shock and disbelief. I don't know whether to be angry or sad, I just sit there dumfounded. Suddenly my phone buzzes and I turn away from Christian. Usually I would never text when I'm with someone but he is being rude, so fuck it.  
I unlock my phone and see that it's a message from Nick. _Just what I need,_ I think to myself.

I open the text only to see a picture of a cookie with the words "You have herpes, sorry ;)" written on it. A couple of seconds after I open it another text pops up:

*_SORRY WRONG PERSON*_

_*IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED TO TELL ME?_* I reply.

A small smile plays on my lips; Nick always knows the best ways to cheer me up. Before I could put my phone down again it buzzes with another text. This one is of another cookie, but this time it has "Sorry for the dick in your face" written on it.

A giggle escapes my lips as I reply.

*_DO YOU HAVE THE WRONG PERSON AGAIN?* _I ask.

*_NOPE. I ASSUME THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WIITH THAT GUY LAST NIGHT_* Nick quickly replies.

My sudden good mood disappears as quickly as it came.

_*FUCK YOU*_ I quickly text back.

I lock my phone and stare out the passenger window. What is it with men today? One minute they are fine and the next they're complete dicks. My phone buzzes with another text and I resist the urge to look down. A few seconds later another buzz, then another, then another. I let out a frustrated sigh and decide to look at my phone. The first is a picture of nine cookies with the words "I'm sorry" spelled out in frosting, a letter on each cookie. After it is a text:

*_I BAKED THESE FOR YOU, I'LL BRING THEM NEXT WEEK_*

After that is a picture of the cookies but this time the 'Y' is missing. Underneath it, there is another text that reads:

*_THE LONGER YOU TAKE TO ACCEPT MY APOLOGY, THE LESS COOKIES YOU GET_*

The last text is of the same picture, but this time an 'R' is missing. I laugh at Nick's apology attempt; he can be so ridiculous.

"What's so funny?" Christian's voice comes from beside me. It takes me a minute to realize that we're stuck in a red light and Christian is in the car with me.

"Nothing," I say dismissively, not bothering to look up from my phone.

*_OKAY, OKAY, I FORGIVE YOU! JUST SAVE ME SOME COOKIES_* I text back.

I lock my phone and stare out the passenger window, ignoring Christian; if he can be cold and distant, well so can I.

_What's going to happen now?_ My subconscious pipes up.

That's a great question. What is going to happen with us? After how he acted do I still want to see him? He is so mercurial, it gives me whiplash. I want to know why his mood changed so drastically after the kiss.

_I told you not to move, _His harsh words pop back into my head. He's angry because I moved?

"_You make me want to_" comes blaring out of my phone, distracting me from my train of thought.

"Hey," I answer. I risk a glance at Christian, his mouth is in a hard line and he's staring out the windshield; he's holding the steering wheel so hard that I'm scared he may leave dents in it.

"Hey, baby girl. I really am sorry about what I said. It was uncalled for. I was shocked when I called you this morning and some guy answered. For a second I thought it was Ma-"

"It wasn't," I snap, cutting him off before he finished the word. The last thing I need is to be reminded of THAT.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to… I was just worried. And when I realized it wasn't Him, I kind of got jealous that you took some guy home," Nick jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

I start to chew on the inside of my lip as I think back to Him; _God how pathetic are you? You can't even think His name, my _subconscious snares.

Memories start to fill my mind and my breathing gets shallow, I can't catch my breath.

"Ana! Ana? You are okay, I'm sorry I brought him up. Listen to my voice, you are okay, you are safe; just breath, I've got you," Nick's soothing voice comes through the speaker. I force myself to push the thoughts out of my head and concentrate of Nick's deep, familiar voice. I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, like my therapist says to do. After a few seconds I feel myself start to relax.

I look around the car and my breathing eases. _I'm okay, I'm safe_, I repeat to myself over and over.

I catch Christian's concerned gaze for a few seconds before he turns back to the road. The tight line disappears from his face and it's replaced by a deep 'V' between his eyebrows.

"Annie?" Nick asks softly.

"I'm okay, Nikki. But you aren't finished groveling," I tease.

I hear him sigh in relief; he knows that a major breakdown was avoided…this time. "I hate when you call me Nikki," he whines.

"Suck it up and finish apologizing. I'm waiting," I reply.

"You already forgave me! And I promised cookies, that the best you're getting."

"Throw in the new Prada purse I've had my eyes on and you are forgiven."

"Is this really a Prada problem? I think it's more of a Victoria's Secret baby doll problem." He laughs.

"You basically called me a whore; so I will make whore requests. Prada!" I yell into the phone.

"But you have to sleep with me first to be considered a whore," he says. I can just picture him waging his eyebrow with a stupid grin on his face.

"You know what? I don't want Prada that bad; you're forgiven." I surrender.

"But now I have to get you Prada!"

"You don't have to. How was your date by the way?" I ask.

"She's still sleeping," he says annoyance clear in his voice. Nick likes the girls to be out before he wakes up. His casual sex habit has been the topic of many arguments.

"It's like 3pm in New York!" I say in disbelief.

"Yeah!" He responds.

"Sucks for you." I laugh.

"I wish you were here, then you could have gotten rid of her a long time ago," he says sadly.

"Sucks for you! I'll let you get back to your whore. Bye," I say.

"Aww, okay. I love you," he says.

"I love me too," I joke.

"Funny," he says.

"Okay, okay, I love you too," I say and hang up. I put my phone down on my lab and shake my head. Nick is the sweetest guy but he's a whore, there is no other way to say it. I can't help but think it's partly my fault.

For the first time I look out the window and notice that we are no longer in Seattle. "Where are we going?" I ask.

"Well, its noon, so I thought we would grab lunch before we go to Toys-R-Us," he explains, his voice void of any emotion.

"You can just take me home. I don't expect you to stay the rest of the day," I say. Part of me hopes that he will take me home, while the other is dreading it.

"I want to stay with you. But if you don't want to I'll take you home and have Taylor pick me up," he says sounding defeated.

"I didn't want you to go until someone shoved a stick up your ass," I snap. How dare he act like I'm the bad guy for not wanting to stay with him after the outburst?

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "You caught me off guard. How else was I supposed to act? I told you not to move!"

"I don't know, maybe you could have reacted like a normal, decent human being!" I yell.

He lets out a frustrated breath. "Really? You want to fight about this, too?" he asks, exasperated, his voice cold.

"I'm not fighting, I want an explanation. You had no right to act like that! You kiss me out of nowhere, twice! Then you literally push me away, without explanation, and tell me that it will never happen again. All for no reason!" I yell, anger and frustration course through me.

He takes his eyes of the road for a second to glare at me. "If you didn't move, none of this would have happened. Why did you move?" he snaps then turns to face the road again.

I laugh in disbelief. "Your logic is very flawed. You kiss me and expect me not to move? In what planet does that make any sense? If you didn't want me to move, why did you risk it and kiss me?" I snap back, my tone just as cold as his. I let out a sigh of frustration and run my fingers through my hair, pushing it to my other shoulder so my view of Christian is unrestricted.

"You are a very hard women to resist," he says, turns and grins at me, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"That's not an excuse," I tell him.

"It's the truth. I can't think around you and it scares me. I don't have control when I'm with you and things can go wrong and there is nothing I can do about it," he says softly and glances at me. I see the same vulnerable look I say earlier right after the kiss.

"I don't understand, Christian," I say softly.

"You'll understand everything this weekend," he says as an explanation.

"If you are so sure that I will leave when I find out, why don't you just tell me everything right now and not waste your time?"

"I am not wasting my time! I really enjoy spending time with you," he says, turns and gives me a small, shy smile that melts my heart.

Suddenly all the anger and frustration from earlier vanishes. He has his reasons for not wanting me to move, and he will share them with me this weekend, so there is no point in me pushing the issue further; but I'm not going to let him off the hock that easily.

"Do you still want to go home?" he asks timidly.

"I don't know…" I respond truthfully.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to insult you or hurt your feelings; I panicked and I know there was probably a million different ways that I could have handled the situation. I am so so so sorry," he says sincerely.

"Well, I'm hungry, so we can go to lunch and see where it goes," I say. I make sure to keep my voice even and my expression blank. I want him to sweat a little, I'm sure no one has ever made him apologize before, so this will be a good experience for him.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asks, his tone hopeful.

"No, it means that I am hungry and I don't feel like cooking," I respond.

"But Nick was forgiven so easily," he whines. A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth and I have to bite the inside of my cheeks to keep from smiling.

"That is completely different. And I'm still mad at you for earlier," I tell him.

"You are so frustrating. What do I have to do for you to forgive me? I can get you that Prada bag you want," he suggests.

"Oh, my poor, sweet, naïve Mr. Grey. You think it's that easy. You have no idea how to handle women do you?" I laugh.

"I know exactly how to handle women, Dr. Steele." He turns and wags his eyebrow suggestively, a wide grin adorns his face. "Ask any woman I've been with."

I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Someone is a little overconfident." I joke to hide my embarrassment, and arousal.

"I'll show you sometime," he says and winks. His hypnotic gray eyes light up with a mischievous gleam.

It takes me a minute to regain my composure. "In your dreams," I say and turn to face the passenger side window.

His melodic laugh fills the car. "How did you know?" he jokes.

"I'm irresistible," I say in my most seductive voice and run my hand up my thigh. I turn to face him just in time to his eyes widen and I hear a gasp escape his lips. He swallows which causes his Adams apple to bob up and down. _I would love to lick down his neck, and keep going all the way down… _My subconscious says and fans herself.

"Are you okay, Christian?" I ask innocently as I reach over to turn on the radio. 'Birthday sex' comes baring through the speakers. I chuckle at the timing of the song and lean back against the seat and turn to face Christian, who still hasn't answered my question.

I watch as he drives with easy confidence. He leans back against the seat and one hand is on the steering wheel while the other is on the armrest between us. I take my time and stare at his profile. Straight nose, puckered full lips and an angular jaw that I just want to graze with my teeth. His hair sits on top of his head in a disheveled mess and I can't help but remember how soft and silky it felt under my fingertips.

As if he senses me staring Christian turns and looks at me. Our eyes lock and the electric current fires up again. "Enjoying the view, Dr. Steele?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It's alright." I shrug.

_Who are you kidding? Any model would kill to look like him_, my subconscious snares.

The song finishes and it's quickly replaced by the first notes of 'Grind on me' fill the car. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Christian mutters, mirroring my thoughts.

I laugh at the awkwardness of the situation. "You're the one that doesn't like country. So you have to listen to this crap."

"How is this even considered music?" Christian shakes his head in disbelief.

"It's not that bad; I've never listened to the whole song, I only know the beginning from the Vine videos," I tell him.

"Vine videos?" he asks bemused.

"You know, the ones where the guys are shirtless and they dry hump the floor or a pillow to this song. It's been all over Vine and Instagram," I explain.

"Why?" he asks in shock.

"I don't know; it's sexy? Enoska showed it to me and Nick did one, it's funny. You should do one," I suggest jokingly.

"There is no way I would ever do that," he says as we get of the high way.

"Come one, just imagine. Hot, sexy billionaire CEO of GEH shirtless and grinding on the floor. Every girl's fantasy," I say and sigh in mock admiration.

"Hot and sexy, huh?"

"Is that really all you heard? You are such a man," I scold and shake my head.

"Last time I checked I was very much a man." He laughs.

I just shake my head. How can someone go from ice cold, to funny and charming in a matter of minutes? I can't keep up with his mood swings. I turn and take stare out the windshield taking in my surrounding. The trees start to thin and we are in a small, charming town. The town looks like my home town back in Rhode Island. Houses are colonial style, not something you often see in the pacific coast. We turn onto Main St, where the buildings are almost identical to the ones in New Port.

I am engrossed in the town until I feel Christian's hand reach over and grab one of mine. Electricity shoots up my arm and my heart skips a beat, will I ever stop having this reaction? He intertwines his fingers with mine and rests our intertwined hands on my lab. A small smile appears on my lips and for some reason I feel like we are okay, even after the fight.

We drive for about five minutes on Main St, before Christian turns onto Ocean Blv. The salty smell of the ocean assaults my nose.

"Where are we going?" I finally let myself ask.

"There is this small restaurant a few blocks down, it's right on the docks and they have tables outside. I think you'll like it," he says as we pull into a parking lot. He quickly finds a spot and turns the car off.

"We are going to have to walk a little, there is nowhere to park near the restaurant," he explains when he sees my confused expression.

I grab my bag and get out of the car and wait for Christian to walk to my side. When he reaches me, he grabs my hand again and puts it in the crook of his arm and we walk out of the parking lot.

"This is such a cute town, it reminds me of home," I say.

"I knew you would like it; it reminds me of New Port," he says.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Thank you for bringing me here." I look up at him and smile.

He looks down and grins at me. "My pleasure. We can have lunch then walk around a little if you'd like," he suggests.

"I would love that, but there are groceries in the car; we don't want your ice cream to melt," I tease.

His eyes widen in horror at the thought. "Maybe we can take the ice cream into the restaurant and they can put it in the freezer until we leave," he suggests.

I giggle. "The ice cream will be fine, relax. You are more scared of losing the ice cream than I am of losing a patient."

He looks down at me, raising his eyebrows in mock horror. "As a former patient, that worries me."

"You were never technically a patient. More like a nuisance that won't go away. How's your ankle by the way?" I ask.

"A nuisance? You wound me," he jokes. "But my ankle is great, full mobility," he informs me.

"That's because you had a great doctor."

"My doctor was mediocre." He shrugs, his eyes light up with humor.

"Mediocre? You wound me." I put my hand over my heart and wipe an imaginary tear with the other. "All that money and the years of practice and I'm just mediocre," I say dramatically.

He untangle his arm from mine and gives me a golf clap. "Wonderful performance! Brava!"

I curtesy. "Thank you, Kind Sir." I bow my head. When I look up I see Christian staring at me with some intense emotion in his eyes. It looks familiar; it's not the lust from earlier, this is different. A small smile adorns his beautiful face, he looks, dare I say it… loving.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask, curious.

He shakes his head and the intense look disappears and is quickly replaced by amusement, and something else…worry? "Like what?" He tilts his head, a cocked smile appears and my heart stops. Can he be any more amazing?

"Nothing, never mind," I say.

"Shall we keep going then?"

The restaurant is small and intimate, the décor is rustic; random chairs and tables with gingham tablecloths, wild flowers in little vases. CUISINE SAUVAGE, it boasts above the door.

"I've not been here for a while. We don't have a choice- they cook whatever they've caught or gathered." He raises his eyebrows in mock horror. I have to laugh, where does he find these places?

"Of course they do." I shake my head. He leads us to a table in the far corner of the room, and pulls out my chair. "Ever the gentleman," I say smiling up at him.

"You know it, baby." He winks.

I break out into a fit of giggles. "Well, that was unexpected," I say once, I finally get control of myself.

"I took a play from my brother's book. Not a fan?" he asks as he sits down across from me.

Just as I am about the answer the waitress comes to take out drink order. She flushes when she sees Christian, avoiding eye contact with him, hiding under her long, blond bangs. _It's not just me!_

"Two glasses of Pinot Grigio," Christian says with a voice of authority.

"Actually, just one glass of Pinot Grigio. I'll spring water, in the bottle, if you have it and a cup with a bit of ice and a few pieces of lemon. Thank you," I tell the waitress, ignoring Christians glare. The waitress quickly scurries away, probably intimidated by the look on Christians face.

"What?" I snap.

"Do you always have to disagree with what I say?" he asks, and breaths out an exasperated sigh.

"Do you always have to be the boss? Last time I checked you aren't my father, and I don't see your ring on my finger-"I hold out my empty left hand. "So, sorry I have my opinion, Master," I say sarcastically.

Instantly the atmosphere at the table changes. Christians' stormy gray eyes turn black and his nostrils flare; I've never seen a more intense look in my life. If I didn't know any better I would think that he would jump across the table and take me right here in the middle of the restaurant. I can't stop staring at him, the look on his face causes every nerve ending in my body to light up and every muscle below my waist clenches. I suddenly feel too hot and too cold, if he doesn't take me here I may jump him.

The waitress setting Christians' wine on the table snaps us back to reality, and I breathe out the breath that I was holding.

"What took so long?" Christian yells at the waitress.

"I-I'm sorry, Sir, I-" she says in a meek voice. Poor girls.

"It's okay, Sweetie, thank you," I say interrupting her. She sets my water and cup on the table, gives me a grateful look and almost runs to the kitchen.

"That was unnecessary. She is probably crying in the bathroom right now," I scold Christian.

"How long does it take to get two drinks," he responds.

"Do you have multiple personality disorder? Or a tumor on your frontal lobe?" I ask. I unscrew the water and pout half of it into the cup with ice. I realize that the waitress forgot the lemon. Best not say anything, Christian may kill her.

"Why do you ask?" he says after taking a sip of his wine. He leans back agains the seat and crossed one leg over is knee and rests his hand on his lap.

"That would be the only excuse for how you just acted. You go from easy going to asshole in 2 seconds flat," I tell him.

"I'm an asshole?" he asks. Amusement clear on his face; he's enjoying himself.

"Sometimes," I tell him truthfully.

"No one, except for my brother, has called me that before," he replies.

"Elliot tells it like it is," I answer.

"He likes you," Christian says softly.

"Who?" I ask, confused.

"My brother, Elliot. He is very fond of you," he answers.

"I love Elliot, he's cool, kind of reminds me of Nick. Wait, you and Elliot talk about me?" I ask, shocked.

A guilty look crosses his face. "Last night, before you called me, he came over and one thing led to another and he mentioned that he knew you. Apparently you make amazing red velvet cookies," he says.

"Is that all?" I ask, raising one eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes, I didn't have time to dig deeper because you called," he says sincerely.

I let out a sigh of relief, thankfully Elliot didn't tell him anything to embarrassing, not that I told Elliot the big stuff, but still. The waitress comes over with our soup. "Nettle soup," the waitress informs us then quickly runs back into the kitchen. Christian and I look at each other skeptically. I decide to be the brave on and take the first spoonful. _Oh thank God_, it's delicious. Christian follows my lead.

Christian and I look at each other at the same time in relief. I giggle, and he cocks his head to one side.

"That's a lovely sound," he murmurs.

I look down and blush, I'm not that great with complements, especially from him. "What were you trying to get out of Elliot? I can answer any of those questions right now," I tell him.

"I had just gotten the full background check, and to be honest, it gave me more questions than answers," he says truthfully and takes another spoonful of soup, looking at me through his long lashes.

"Ask me anything," I tell him.

"How do you know Nick?" He says his name in distaste.

I relax as relief floods through me, thankfully he didn't ask questions about- I quickly concentrate on answering the question. Fond memories of mine and Nick's childhood flood my mind and a soft smile tugs at my lips. "We met in 6th grade, but we didn't really talk. Then in 7th grade he was moved to my cluster because we were 'advanced'. He was moved there with another girl and she was my friend so I started talking to Nick and we became friends. It wasn't until like 10th grade that we got super close; I thought I was in love with some guy and it didn't end well so Nick was my shoulder to cry on. Then we both got accepted to Brown and we basically lived in each other's houses. When I got into Columbia he was picked up by the Islanders and we got an apartment together until I moved here," I finish.

Christian listens intently and thankfully doesn't interrupt. "Did you ever date?" he asks.

"Briefly, I just felt bad for leading him on around 11th grade, but it didn't last," I explain. Christians face stays politely indifferent.

"So you were never in love with him?" he asks.

"Why are you so concerned with Nick?" I ask, laughing at how ridiculous he's being.

"I'm asking the questions. Now answer," he says in a domineering tone.

"Okay, okay. No I have never been, and probably never will be in love with Nick. Though I can't speak for him. Are all your questions about Nick?"

"No. You were engaged," he states.

There we go, this is what I have been dreading. My body immediately freezes and air comes in short breaths. I swallow hard and take a few deep breaths. "Yes."

"Are you alright, Ana?" he asks, and reaches his hand over to grasp mine. The contact brings me back to the present and away from my horrifying memories.

I shake my head and look up at his concerned face. "Please, don't make me talk about it," I please softly. I can't handle it, I thought I was getting better but I guess not; twice today I nearly had a panic attack. I need to see Dr. Stevens, I've missed two appointments. Stupid!

"Alright. So back to Nick…" he gives me a reassuring smile.

I look into his eyes, expecting to see sympathy, but instead they are understanding, almost knowing, as if he knows how I feel. For a minute we just stare at each other, each comforting and reassuring the other. We are both trying to take away the others pain, both telling our stories without saying anything. Both letting the pain of our respective experiences come through.

The hand he had on top of mine moves and we intertwine out fingers on top of the table. Something about this simple gesture seems incredibly intimate. For a moment we are no longer in a small restaurant outside of Seattle; we are in our own private little bubble, away from the world, away from the pain, the memories, the nightmares. We are safe. For some inexplicable reason I feel safe with this man.

**So how was it? Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, I loved writing it. Please let me know what you think, I love reading your reviews. Also, follow the Pinterest board, the link is in my bio. Thank you all so much for reading and the next chapter will be up soon! Please follow, fav, and review!**

**-Lily**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello Lovelies! How are you all doing? Thank you so much for your kind reviews on the last chapter, I adore reading them. Now it's onto lucky number 13! **

**I am sorry that I haven't had a chance to respond to your review like I usually do. I have been so busy with this chapter, but I will be answering them today or tomorrow. **

**As for the guest reviews: Thank you all so much! I love the banter between Ana and Nick and what's better than a jealous Christian. I will try to write longer chapters and recently all my chapters have been over 5k words, this one is 6k and I will update as frequently as I can; I am moving back into school so it may take a little longer, sorry! Also Christian doesn't have any 'Asshole Moments' in this one. Last but certainly not least SuzB, I always enjoy your comments. This chapter will give a little more insight to Ana's past; it will be a while for her to talk about it because it was so difficult for her to go through.**

**If you read carefully, this chapter will give you a hint to why Ana's engagement ended. If anyone has any theories or ideas or thinks they know what happened please review, I'm interested in finding out what you think. **

**I added a few pictures on Pinterest please check it out, the link is in my bio. Please enjoy, review, fav, follow, blah blah blah...**

**-Lily**

I quickly snap out of my trance and turn when I see the waitress in my peripheral vision. She is standing a couple tables down, looking at us hesitantly. She is probably terrified of interrupting us. I turn back to Christian, just in time to see him roll his eyes. I want so badly to comment on it, but I decide not to ruin the moment and I just shake my head.

"What?" he asks.

"You scarred the poor girl for life; she'll have nightmares about you." I laugh at him.

"Are you done with your soup?" he asks.

I nod, and he waves the waitress over with his free hand. She quickly takes our plates and scurries into the kitchen.

I look back at Christian and my heart skips a beat. He's leaning back against the chair, wine glass up against his lips. His unruly hair pokes out in all directions and the sun coming in from the windows bring out the red hues in it. He looks too good to be true.

He gives me a wicked grin before he takes a long slow sip of his wine. He sets the glass down and swirls the liquid in his mouth before swallowing, then he licks his bottom lip. He leans back against the chair again and grins mischievously at me. He knows exactly what he's doing and its working.

My phone buzzes on the table, distracting me from the floorshow less than a foot away from me. I look down and see that it's an Instagram notification. This makes me think. "Do you have an Instagram?" I ask Christian.

"No, not personally; there's a company one for GEH," he tells me.

"Seriously? Even your father has one," I tell him.

He raises his eyebrows in shock and amusement. "Really?"

I pick up my phone with the one had that I have free and go onto his father's profile then hold my phone out to him. He takes my phone in his hand and examines it, his face a mixture of distaste and amusement.

I see his thumb moving. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking through your pictures on here; your account is private," he says as if it's completely normal.

I reach over and snatch my phone out of his hand. "If you want to see my pictures then you have to follow me!"

"Okay." He grabs his phone and his eyebrows knot in concentration for a few minutes then my phone buzzes again.

* GEH requested to follow you*

I lock my phone and look up at him, amused.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are supposed to accept my request and follow me back," he says as the waitress sets our entrées down, Pan-Grilled Salmon with Pineapple Salsa, it looks delicious and my mouth waters.

I look up at Christian and see him let out a sigh of relief. "Why do you look so relieved?" I ask.

"I'm thankful we got Salmon; last time I was here I got squirrel," he says and lets out a relieved laugh.

We untangle our hands, I immediately miss the contact and I cut into the fish. "Wait, let me get this straight. You took me to a restaurant where you knew there would be a large probability that they would serve Squirrel?"

He shrugs guiltily and takes a bite of the fish. I follow his lead, _oh this is so good_!

"I know see why you don't date," I tell him.

"I could if I wanted to!" he says pretending to be offended.

"Then why don't you?"

He looks up at me, completely lost. "Let me guess; I'll find out this weekend."

He nods but says nothing, he seems lost in thought and I decide not to dig further. In the short time that I've known him I've realized that the more I press him for information the more he shuts down. He will talk when he wants to. We finish the rest of the entrée in comfortable silence, and the waitress comes to take our plates. "Would you like dessert?" she asks timidly.

Christian looks at me expectantly. "Do you want dessert?" he asks almost seductively. I see the waitress flush at his tone of voice.

_Let's have him for dessert, _my subconscious says excitedly. "What do you have for dessert?" I ask.

"Honey vanilla pot de crème with fresh berries," she informs me.

"Do you want to split it?" I ask Christian, silently begging him with my eyes to say yes. I don't want to eat a full one alone, after the drinks and brunch and the burger, the last thing I need is a full pot de crème.

Christian shrugs nonchalantly. "Okay, one pot de crème, and whipped cream on the side."

She nods and walks away. I wiggle in my seat, impatiently, if the pot de crème is half as good as the meal it will be heaven.

Christian looks at me with an amused expression on his face. "You are too cute, Dr. Steele."

"Just cute? I'm slightly disappointed." I pout.

"Is that so?" he asks and leans in, his elbows on the table and his chin resting on his intertwined fingers.

"I was going for seductive and irresistible," I say, lowering my voice, looking at him through my lashes.

He clears his throat and shifts in his seat. "Are you flirting with me, Anastasia?" His pupils dilate, and his voice is low and husky; lust and sex ooze from him.

"I must not be doing a good job if you have to ask, Christian," I say his name slowly, letting each syllable roll off my tongue.

Christian's eyes widen and he leans in further. His tongue pokes out of his mouth and he licks his bottom lip. "Maybe cute wasn't the right word," he agrees.

"Hmm," I respond softly. Christian reaches one hand over and cups my cheek, I lean into his touch, rubbing my cheek against his palm. He leans in closer, his eyes hooded and his lips parted. I lean into him until we are less than a millimeter apart. I can feel his breath fan over my face and his hypnotic scent assaults my senses; he smells of clean linen, jasmine- most likely form my body wash, and musky, it's a heady combination- no cologne could smell as good as Christian Grey.

He leans in farther and just as our lips are about to touch I put my hand over the hand he has on my cheek and kiss it. Then I pull away and lean back against my chair.

His eyes snap open and his expression goes from surprise to confusion. An overwhelming sense of satisfaction rushes through me, finally I caught him by surprise.

I reach over and grab his glass of wine and take a sip. Oh this wine is good. "Oh no, Mr. Grey. You said that you wouldn't kiss me again 'unless it was premeditated' and I don't think that was. I'm going to listen to you for once. Happy?" I says, a smirk plastered on my mouth.

Christian's mouth opens in shock, then he shakes his head and lets out a laugh. "You are such a tease, Ana," he says. He sounds impressed.

"Hey, this is what you wanted," I say as I take another sip of wine. I put the glass down and swirl the wine in my mouth then slowly swallow it. I suppress a grin at his expression when my tongue darts out of my mouth and I lick my top lip.

"You are such a tease," he says, a playful lopsided grin on his face. "Now give me back my wine!" he commands snatching the glass out of my hand.

"But it's so good." I pout.

"You should have gotten your own." He shrugs.

The waitress comes and sets out dessert down on the table between us and hands us dessert spoons. I don't waste time digging into it. _Holy shit! _It's sinfully good, the custard melts in my mouth and I close my eyes and groan. "I think this may be better than sex," I tell Christina.

He lets out a loud booming laugh and throws his head back. "You must not be doing it right, then," he says when his laughter subsides. His gray eyes light up with amusement.

"I'm serious; try this." I grab another spoonful of clustered and a raspberry then hold the spoon up to his mouth. He takes the dessert in his mouth, I try to pull out the spoon but he holds it between his teeth. "Let go!" I say in my most commanding voice.

He shakes his head with the spoon still in his mouth, his hair flops onto his forehead. A giggle escapes my lips; I love playful Christian.

_There we go with that word again!_ My subconscious snares.

I decide to ignore her, or myself, and concentrate on this adorable moment in front of me, I know that it's rare for him to be so relaxed.

I give the spoon another tug and this time he lets go. "Finally!" I snap at him playfully.

"It was good; not better than sex though," he says, the mischievous gleam reappears.

I just shrug. _How would I know?_

We finish the rest of the dessert in the same playful fashion, once we are done the waitress brings the bill and Christian immediately grabs it. He glares at me, daring me to say something. I decide to keep my mouth shut, no need to have another argument. He takes a few bills out of his pocket and sets them on the table.

"Ready to go?" he asks.

I nod and he stands up and hold his hand out to me, I take it and stand. We walk out of the restaurant hand in hand and head back to the car.

"Can I have the keys?" I ask when we are approaching the car.

"Why?" he looks down at me bemused.

"It's my car and you drank," I tell him.

"Half a glass, you drank, too." He defends himself.

"I took two sips," I say, then stifle a yawn. "You know what? Whatever you drive," I tell him. I need a nice nap.

He looks impressed. "What?" I ask.

"You are just being very reasonable," he says, disbelief clear in his voice.

"Would you rather I not be?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as he opens my door.

"No, just making an observation. Get in the car!" he commands then leans down and gives me a small peck on the lips. Before I have time to react he pulls away, but it's enough to send need coursing through my body.

I look up at him in disbelief, he's standing there holding the car door open with one hand while the other hand is on the roof of the car, basically blocking me from going anywhere but inside. He looks down at me, his gray eyes bright, and a triumphant smile on his lips. He looks like a bad boy from every teenage fantasy ever.

"No kisses!" I snap.

"I wouldn't consider that a kiss. Now get in the car!" he repeats, his time he slaps my butt with the hand that was holding the door open. I yelp but listen to him and slid into the seat.

"That was uncalled for!" I yell as he walks around the car. He opens the driver side door and slides in. "That hurt!" I whine and rub my butt where he slapped it.

"Oh don't be a baby; you got off easy," he says his voice low but still amused.

"And we're back to being cryptic." I sigh.

"So where to now?" he asks.

"We have to go home so we can put the groceries away," I tell him.

"Home it is," he says then expertly pulls out of the parking space and onto the road. Once on the road he grabs my hand again, his thumb rubs my knuckles. It's shocking how normal and comfortable this feels; it's as if we have known each other for years, not two weeks.

I look at Christian and he seems lost in thought. "You know, it's very distracting when someone is just staring at you, not to mention rude," he says then turns to give me a teasing grin.

"No often does a girl find herself with the 'sexiest CEO in the world'. I am going to stare all I want," I joke.

"Why the air quotes? Am I not the sexiest CEO in the world?"

"That's what google said. You know you have a fan club?" I tell him.

"So you don't think I'm sexy?" he presses on.

"Fishing for complements is so tacky, Mr. Grey. It's like you're an insecure girlfriend. No, honey you're not fat. Yes, I still find you attractive. No, I don't think he's hotter than you," I tease him.

"I wonder why you're single," he mutters loudly under his breath.

I gape at him in mock horror. "That was below the belt," I say and look down pretending to be hurt.

"Ana, I was joking- I don't mean to. I'm so sor-"

"Gotcha." I look up at him laughing. He lets out a deep breath and his wide shoulders slump in relief. "You really can't take a joke."

"You know what? I take back the apology," he says pouting.

"You have no idea how to talk to women, do you?" I shake my head.

"I know how to talk to women; it's you I seem to have a problem with," he says softly.

I look at him and raise my eyebrow. "With all due respect, you have no game. How can you possible pick up women? Since you aren't gay or celibate and 'don't do the girlfriend thing'. How does it work for you?" I ask, genuinely curious.

He turns his head and looks at me for a fraction of a second then turns back to the road. He frowns for a moment and seems to be engaged in some kind of internal struggle.

A sudden, unwelcome thought pops in my head. "Oh God! You use prostitutes don't you?!"

He takes his eyes of the road and stares at me in shock and disbelief, as if he can't believe what I'm suggesting.

"Or escorts or whatever you call them?"

He looks back at me, hurt; but I could be wrong because he turns back quickly. "No! I would never use prostitutes!" his voice laced with intense unknown emotion.

"Sorry! You were just taking so long to answer that I just assumed. You're not one of those business men who likes to be tied up and peed on, are you?"

"What?" he asks, shocked. His eyes widen and his lips press in a thin line, it looks like I hit a nerve.

"There are some people, mostly business men from my experience, who are into 'alternative lifestyles'. I had a few patients in New York who were into all of that. I don't judge, I wish I had the courage." I laugh nervously.

He shakes his head and seems to regain his composure. What a strange reaction, I wonder why.

My train of thought is interrupted when he turns and grins a lopsided all-American-boy smile. His beauty is derailing.

"No, Ana, I am not into getting tied up and peed on," he says, the grin turns wicked and I feel like he's laughing at some private joke.

"Okay because if you were, I was just going to say that I would make a sucky dominatrix; but I know one and I could set you up," I tell him.

"You know a dominatrix?" he asks, shocked.

"It's long story actually," I say and smile fondly at the memories.

"I would love to hear it," he says.

"It's a very long story," I repeat.

"Please," he says sweetly.

I sigh in defeat and begin the story.

_I wake up in the morning, surrounded by bridal magazines, seating charts, and patient charts. I look around and see that I fell asleep on my desk again, a piece of paper is stuck to my cheek. I look around and see my alarm clock. Shit! Its 7:45, rounds start at 8._

_I jump out of my seat and run into the shower. Once I'm done I put on my scrubs and head out into the living area. Nick is by the front door, promising last night's escapade that he will call her. _

_He closes the door and walks back into the kitchen where I'm pouring a cup of coffee, spilling half of it._

"_You really shouldn't lead them on," I scold him._

"_I wouldn't have to if you were marrying me instead of Dick-well," he says and shrugs. He's standing there in his boxers with a muffin in his hand. _

"_Be nice," I say as I walk up to him, kiss his cheek and grab the muffin out of his hand. I turn, grab my stuff and I'm out the door._

"_You always take my breakfast!" Nick whines as I leave._

"_Sorry!" I call out and run down the hallway. I see a line of people by the elevators so I just take the stairs, all 12 flights of them. I make it outside in no time, thankfully the subway is only a two minute walk. _

_I make it to the hospital at 8:10. I drop my stuff off and I start on rounds. I have been a resident for about a month now and I'm loving it. I check my charts and see that I have a new patient. A 59 year-old man with an Atypical teratoid Rhaboid Tumor (ATRT), I get excited because it's so rare to see that type of tumor in a person of this age. _

_I quickly make it through all the morning rounds. Now all I have to do is go see Mr. Arty Anderson, my new ATRT patient. As I approach his room I see a cluster of nurses giggling and whispering. _

"_Dr. Steele," one of them says when they see me, obviously embarrassed to be caught. They must be laughing at the patient, how unprofessional. _

_I nod at her and walk into the room. I stop in my tracks when I see a women kneeling in the corner with a red ball thing in her mouth and her hands behind her back. _

_I look around the room, confused. I stop when I see a handsome, middle aged, African American man with white hair. He is smirking at me, his eyebrows raised, staring at me appreciatively. _

_I take a deep breath and square my shoulders. "Mr. Arty Anderson, My name is Dr. Anastasia Steele, I'm the head doctor on your case," I say as evenly as I can manage and reach my hand out. _

_Arty shakes my hand. "Nice to meet you," he says, an amused look plastered on his face. He's waiting for me to say something. _

_I nod at him politely and turn to the woman in the corner. I get on my knees in front of her and reach my hand out. "Hi, I'm Dr. Steele." _

_She doesn't move. I turn my attention to Mr. Anderson, who clearly looks amused. "Is she mute?" _

"_Jenny, you may talk," he tells the women._

"_Hello Dr. Steele," she says and shakes my hand. She, too, seems very amused. _

_I get off the floor and wash my hands. "So, Mr. Anderson, what brings you here?" I ask as I walk over to his bed and grab the chart._

"_I have a tumor, I need to not have a tumor," he says simply._

"_That's not what I mean. You came all the way from Las Vegas and you specifically asked for me. Why?" I ask._

"_Well, to be honest, I heard that you are one of the most promising, up and coming surgeons, and you're not bad on the eyes. If I am going to die in a hospital I don't want the last face I see to be a balding, white man. Call me Arty, by the way," he says._

_I have to laugh at that. "I appreciate your honesty." _

_A small smile appears on his lips and he shrugs. _

_ We spend the next hour going over his history and all the treatments that are available and we decide that surgery is the best way to go, since the tumor is in an easy place to reach, then if I can't get all of it out we will go with radiation. _

_ "Have a nice day, Arty and Jenny," I say and walk out. I catch a glimpse of Arty's surprised expression. _

_ The rest of the day is a blur of surgeries, paper work and rounds. Before I know it, I find myself outside of Arty's room again. Thankfully there are no nurses this time. _

_ I walk into the room and my eyes go to the corner, no Jenny. "Where did she go?" I ask Arty._

_ "We ended it," he says nonchalantly._

_ "Why?" I ask then quickly catch myself and apologize._

_ "No need to apologize, sweetheart. I'm going to be here for a while; it will make things hell of a lot easier if we're friends," he says kindly._

_ "So why did you end it?" I ask._

_ "She didn't want to stick around, it was apparently too much for her," he says, sounding defeated._

_ "I'm so sorry, Arty. Do you want me to call someone else?" I ask him. I feel horrible, I can't imagine being left alone, especially in a situation like this. _

_ "No! I am not in contact with my family," he says sadly._

_ "Oh," I respond. I have no idea what to say._

_ "They don't approve of my lifestyle," he explains, answering my unspoken question._

_ "I'm sure they will come around," I say trying to reassure him._

_ "I highly doubt it, Darlin'. You weren't fazed by it," he states._

_ I shrug. "To be honest, I know very little about that lifestyle, but to each their own. I wish I had the courage to try it," I laugh._

_ "Once you fix me up I can show you the ropes, excuse the pun. You would make a great submissive," he says and laugh a loud booming laugh. _

_ "I don't know about that," I say skeptically._

_ "Don't knock it 'till you try it. And I need a new sub," he says._

_ "Are you asking me to be your sex slave?" I say pretending to be appalled._

_ "Depends on how you react," he says jokingly. _

_ I just shake my head and go on with checking him over. When I am about to leave I turn to him. "In your dreams, Sir."_

_ He just laughs. The next couple of weeks go by quickly, work and the wedding plans keep me busy. Mine and Arty's friendship develops further. I've never been so close with a patient; maybe it's because he's alone or I need the comic relief that he offers, especially since Nick is training, but I find myself very fond of Arty. His surgery went of perfectly; I just got the latest results back and he is tumor free; I managed to get everything, so no Chemo. _

_ As I walk down the hallway to Arty's room I hear loud commotion coming from his room. I walk in to see a tall, blonde women in a skin tight dress and a chubby, middle aged man laughing with Arty._

_ "Ana!" Arty calls out when he sees me._

_ "I see you have visitors," I state. _

_ "Ana, this is Mistress Angelica and Master Diablo," he says pointing at the two people in the room._

_ "Hello, nice to meet you," I say and shake their hands._

_ "Oh so this is the good Doctor. Hopefully you have good news for us," Mistress Angelica says. _

_ "I have amazing news. You are cancer free!" I say excitedly. _

_ Silence falls over the room. I am shocked when Arty wraps me in his arms. "Thank you so much!" he says, tears fall down his eyes and land on my lab coat. I hug him back and rub his back soothingly._

_ Once he pulls away each of his friends take turns hugging him. "We must celebrate!" Angelica says. _

_ "Yes! A party!" Diablo agrees._

_ "Of course, you have to come, Ana," Arty says. _

_ "Um… what kind of party?" I ask skeptically._

_ "Oh, honey, you are so innocent. It's cute," Angelica says. _

_ "She throws the best parties; clothing optional, of course," Arty says._

_ I laugh at his joke and they all stare at me. "Wait? You're serious?" I ask._

_ They all nod. "I will take you shopping, here is my card, call me so we can set up a date," Mistress Angelica says excitedly. _

_ I take the card and stare down at it. It's a dominatrix card, oh god! I wish them all a good day and I promise Arty to come back tomorrow before he gets discharged; since it's my day of tomorrow I decide that I will just go shopping tomorrow with Mistress Angelica. _

_Later that night Nick and I are sitting on the couch drinking wine and watching Scandal, our favorite show._

"_Are you really going to go to this party?" he ask. _

"_Yes!" I say excitedly._

"_How's Dick-well going to react to this? He wants to know where his 'property' is going, who she's with, what she's doing at all times," he says, hate and disgust clear in his voice. _

"_I'll just say I'm going to a party with you," I say._

"_Do I need to remind you what happened last time you lied?" Nick says harshly._

"_That was an accident! Let's not talk about it. Anyways he won't know, he's been busy with work lately," I say._

"_Yeah, work," Nick mutters under his breath. I pretend not to hear it, mostly so I don't have to think about why else he is always unavailable. We are waiting until the honeymoon, we both agreed, he would never do anything like THAT. The wedding stress is just causing us to fight a little more, that's all. The Accident was just that, an accident. He didn't mean to and he felt horrible afterwards. _

"_Will you come with me?" I ask Nick._

"_If you want me. I'm always here for you, Annie," he says and looks at me sympathetically, something he's been doing a lot lately. _

"_Thank you; do you want me to get you some leather pants?" I ask. _

"_Pleather, I don't want PETA on my ass," he says and pulls me closer to him. We snuggle on the couch and watch the rest of the show. _

_ The next day I meet Mistress Angelica for lunch in 5__th__ ave then we go shopping. She takes me Agent Provocateur and we try on underwear after underwear, she completely ignores my protests. _

_ "I'm wearing a dress to the party!" I insist. _

_ "You still need nice underwear. Don't make me take you over my knee!" she threatens. Part of me thinks it's a joke while the rational part knows that she is most likely very serious. After that we move on to the dress. _

_ I try on countless dresses in countless stores until I see a long, black Valentino dress. It see through panels through the bodice with back sequence stripes that cover bits and pieces of my chest. There is a sheer cut out going down the dress which opens up in the front to make a thigh high slit. It is the sexiest dress I have ever seen._

_ Angelica is speechless when I come out of the dressing room, which is something of a novelty. I walk up the mirror and I'm shocked when I see my reflection. The girl in the mirror is sexy. There is no other way to describe it. I have never felt prettier. _

_ We decide that this is the dress and I quickly change back into my clothing. Angelica insists on paying for it, she ignores all my protests; that woman is a control freak. We hug and promise to do lunch another time._

_I go home and show Nick all the clothing, and his leather pants that Mistress Angelica brought. We talk excitedly about the party; I can't wait to go, maybe I should tell my fiancée, I think to myself. _

"I never went to that party," I finish and look at Christian who has turned to face me. We have been in the parking of my building for the past 20 minutes. Christian listens intently, not once commenting.

"Why didn't you go?" he asks once he realizes that I finished.

"Let's just say that my ex wasn't thrilled," I say.

"Now look who's being cryptic." He laughs.

"Come on, let's go inside. I probably just bored you to death. And your ice cream is most likely melted," I tell him.

"Do you still have that dress?" he asks as we get out of the car.

"Yes I do," I confirm.

He opens the trunk and we each take a few bags and I close the trunk. We walk to the elevator and wait.

"Do you still have to Agent Provocateur underwear?" he asks giving me a sly look.

"Yeah, the corset from this morning was one of them. The most demure one." I wink as the elevator doors open.

The second they close the electric current is back with a vengeance. Both Christian and I gasp at the same time. So he feels it too?

I step away from him, maybe some distance will help things cool down.

"You are killing me," Christian says and shakes his head.

"You made the rule, I'm just following it," I say innocently.

He sets down the bags in his hands and steps in front of me. He leans in. "I could stop the elevator and take you right here," he says in a low, seductive voice.

My heart stops beating and my panties are immediately soaked. "But you won't," I breath, almost moan out.

"Don't tempt me," he says and leans in farther. His hands pin mine to my sides. "If you move, I swear to god, I will take you over my knee," he says mirroring the words from my story.

Something, maybe his voice, his proximity, or the erotic threat turn me on farther. "Are you threatening me?"

"It's not a threat, Dr. Steele, it's a promise," he breaths out, his hot breath fans out over my face. It smells of wine and vanilla. He walks forward and I step back until I'm pressed against the elevator wall again. I close my eyes and tilt my head up, to meet his lips.

He presses his lips to my cheek, disappointment, frustration and lust rush through me. _Kiss me on the lips, Damn it!_

He trails kisses down my cheek, down my throat and to my collar bone. I tilt my head to the side to give him better access. He follows the same trail back up my throat but this time instead of going to my cheek he takes my ear lobe in his mouth and bites. I stifle a moan, he lets go of my ear lobe after another bite then he kisses the back of my ear. He nips at a spot behind my ear that causes my legs to go weak and an embarrassingly loud moan to escape. I feel his smile against my neck as I drop the grocery bags.

He pulls away and rests his forehead against mine, his breath just as uneven as mine. I open my eyes to see him staring at me. His dark stormy gray eyes lock with mine. "Don't move," he whispers sternly and let's go of my hands. I keep them in place just as he commanded. His hands trail up my body leaving a tingly, burning sensation in their wake. They go up my legs and stop at my hips. He pulls my hips against his, I can feel his erection against my stomach. He pushes against me and a deep, throaty moan escape his lips. One of his hands goes around my hips and grabs my butt while the other continues its journey up my body.

All the while out eyes are still locked, blue to gray. The whole moment is strangely intimate, his lips are mere millimeters away from mine, all I have to do is tilt my head slightly, but I don't have it in me to move. All I can do is stare at him while his hand travels up by body to my waist and grazes the side of my breast before going around my neck. His fingers tangle themselves in my hair and in that moment I don't care that it's a greasy, hairspray filled mess, all I care about is the beautiful man in front of me.

He tilts my head up and his lips press against my gently, then for some unknown reason, his lips move more urgently against mine. His tongue traces the outside of my bottom lip, asking for permission, I part my lips slightly and his tongue expertly makes its way in. We explore the unfamiliar territory that is the others mouth, my eyes close and all I can do is feel. The way his mouth possess mine, the way the hand in my hair pulls my head back slightly, the way the hand he has on my ass occasionally squeezes and his nails dig into my upper thigh.

We are both so lost in the moment that we don't feel the elevator stop or hear the doors open. We keep kissing until we feel the elevator going down. He pulls away slightly only to rest his forehead on mine again, both our breathing is shallow and uneven. He moves the hand that he has in my hair and puts it around my waist. He looks down at me, his eyes still dark but this time they are soft, he's looking at me tenderly and it causes my heart to swell.

"Are we going down?" I ask breaking the silence.

"I think so," he says softly.

I take my hands from my side and hold them up. "Can I touch your face?" I ask softly.

I put one of my hands over the hand that he has around my waist, I know that touching his hands is fine. I take my other hand and tentatively put it on his cheek. He leans into my hand, his forehead still on mine.

"Do you know what floor we are on?" he asks.

"No."

"Should we check?" he asks, his voice smooth and low.

"I don't want to move," I whisper. "Is your hair okay?"

He nods understanding what I mean. I move the hand that's on his cheek and run it through his hair slowly, enjoying the feel of his silky hair under my fingertips.

He closes his eyes and sighs contently. "I don't want to move either," he whispers.

**So how was it? I hope you all enjoyed it, it was a fun chapter to write, I love writing steamy scene, gets me all hot and bothered; hopefully it had the same effect on all of you. Again if you have any comment, suggestions, questions, just leave them in the comment or PM me; I would be happy to clarify. Please check out the Pinterest board, link in bio, and fav, follow, and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello Ladies! Sorry it took so long, I just finished moving into my new dorm; it's been a hectic week, and I wanted to make this chapter long and fun! The last few have been intense, so I wanted a light chapter to break things up.**

**Thank you all for your extraordinary reviews, I adore reading them. I'm happy that many of you picked up on the clues to Ana's past. I'm also ecstatic about the reaction to her being familiar with BDSM; that mixed with her past relationship will make the big reveal very interesting. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing; I really appreciate you guys spending time reading my story or looking at the Pinterest. Speaking of Pinterest, I have put a few more pictures up so check it out. The link is in my bio.**

**P.S.: A special thank you to SuzB. You are an amazing person, your reviews are always so kind and insightful and thank you so much for the review that you left on 'Only Your Housekeeper Knows For Sure' I was so touched. You are amazing! **

I keep stroking his hair when an unwelcome thought pops into my head; I stop mid stroke.

"Why did you stop?" Christian asks softly.

"Did you grab the eggs?" I ask.

"Hmm?"

"The eggs, Christian, please tell me that you grabbed them," I plead.

"I don't know; why does it matter?" he whispers. "Keep running your fingers through my hair, I like." His eyes blaze into mine and he gives me a small, shy smile.

Suddenly, I forget all about the eggs and I resume stroking his soft, silky hair. He lets out a soft sigh of contentment and pulls me closer, his eyes still locked on mine.

"Yet another first," he mutters quietly, mostly to himself. We stay like this until the elevator slows then comes to a halt. Christina lets out an exasperated sigh and presses his lips to mine tenderly then pulls away complete.

Disappointment rushes through me, I want to stay in his arms for the rest of my life.

_WHAT?! OH No! We are not doing that again. Don't go there! _My subconscious screams at me. Always the downer.

Christian bends down picks up the bags, then looks through them. He looks back at me, a lazy grin on his face. "I have the eggs!"

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God!" I pick up the bags that I dropped just as the doors open.

An elderly couple that I've seen a few times step in and smile at Christian and I. We both nod back and smile politely. They press the button with '6' on it and I reach and press the '14'. I move back to stand closer to Christian. He looks down, an amused expression on his face.

"What?" I mouth.

He just shrugs but otherwise says nothing. The ride to the sixth floor is quick and before I know it the couple bid us goodbye and step out. Now it's just Christian and I.

The electric current is still there; it's always there. I look at Christian from the corner of my eye and notice that he's looking at me the same and I break into a fit of giggles.

"What is so funny?" he asks, suppressing his own laughter.

"We've been in this elevator for the past 10 minutes. This is ridiculous, the security guard is probably having a field day with this. I don't think this elevator has seen this much action before," I say through my laughter.

"There could be more action," he says seductively and steps closer to me.

"Don't you dare! We'll never get out of here and I hate elevators," I warn.

"I like them, especially with you." He winks.

Thankfully the elevator stops and the doors open; I run out of there like a bat out of hell. Christian follows after me laughing.

"I don't find it funny." I pout as I open the door to my apartment. I drop the key into the bowl on the table and walk into the kitchen.

"You were fine the other times we rode the elevator," Christian says behind me.

I drop the groceries on the kitchen island and look at him. "I know but we were in the elevator for a long time. Now help me put the groceries away."

He sets his bags on the island and turns to me. "First show me that dress."

I laugh as I open the fridge door, "In your dreams," I say and grab the bags with the vegetables.

I open the vegetable drawer and bend down to put everything in the drawer. I hear Christian groan. "What?" I ask.

"Are you trying to kill me?" a sigh escapes his lips and runs his hand through his hair.

"What are you talking about?" I ask as I put away the milk and eggs.

"Nothing, never mind. Where do you want this?" he ask holding up the cereal.

"In the cupboard next the fridge," I tell him. Working together we put the groceries away in no time.

"All done," Christian says with a triumphant grin on his handsome face.

"Thank you," I say. I look at the clock, it's only 2pm. _More than enough time for a nap_, I think longingly.

"My pleasure, so what-" the shrill ringing of a phone cuts him off. He reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out his blackberry. He looks at his phone and frowns. "Grey," he snaps.

He listens intently for a few minutes, the frown deepening. "Can this be handled tomorrow? I don't have access to my computer."

He listens again for another minute. "Okay. I will call you back in half an hour." He hangs up, no goodbye.

"Is something wrong?" I ask.

"People don't know how to do their fucking jobs," he sighs and slams his phone on the island. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"Do you have to go home?" I ask, failing to keep the sadness from my voice. _Please don't go_, I silently beg.

He sighs. "I have to take care of it," he says sadly.

"Do you need a computer? You can use mine," I suggest a little too quickly. Great, now I sound desperate.

A small smile appears on Christians face. He considers my suggestion, "I can log on to the office from any computer. Good idea, Dr. Steele. But I don't want to bore you," he says.

"Don't worry, I will be taking a nap while you work. When you're done we can go to Toys-R-Us," I reassure him.

"Sounds like a plan," he says and steps closer to me. "You look exhausted. You don't get enough sleep." He runs his thumb under my eye.

"I'm a surgeon, I don't need a lot of sleep," I laugh and turn to get my laptop. "Here you go. If you want you can work in my office, it's the second door on the left. Or you can sit here or wherever; make yourself at home," I tell him.

He nods as I hand him the laptop. I turn and walk into my bedroom, once inside I strip down to my Victoria's Secret lace underwear set and throw on my oversized Brown Bears t-shirt. I set my phone on the table, put my hair in a messy bun, and get in bed.

Just as I get comfortable I hear a knock on the door. "Come in," I yell out.

Christian pokes his head around the door. "Do you mind if I work here while you sleep? I promise I won't disturb you."

_You better say yes_, my subconscious yells.

"Sure." I move over and pat the empty space near me. A beautiful grin spreads on his face. He walks into my room and closes the door behind him. He kicks his shoes off and steps into bed, he lays the laptop down and arranges the pillows behind him and leans on them.

He places the laptop on his lap, looks down at me and smiles. "You look so young."

"I'm only 26, I am young," I responds after another yawn. "Now let me sleep!"

"Sorry. Sleep." He leans in and kisses to the top of my head. I nod, lay my head down on the pillow, and stare at him. He concentrates on the computer screen and his fingers fly across the keyboard. A small 'V' has formed between his eyebrows and his full lips are in a tight line; he doesn't look happy. I feel bad for the person on the receiving end of his anger. My eyes flutter shut after a few minutes and I fall asleep to the sound of Christian typing.

I feel something moving back and forth across my cheek, keeping my eyes closed I swat it away with the hand I had resting under the pillow. I hear soft laughter, my eyes flutter open and they're met with bright gray eyes and a wide grin.

I groan and close my eyes again. I hear the same soft laughter and a hand moves up and down my left leg. I try to swat it away but it doesn't stop. "Let me sleep," I whine.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty, its 4 o'clock," he says.

I move my hand off my leg and bring it to his face, slowly, making sure he sees that I'm going to touch him. I move my hand around his face and I feel his smile against my palm.

"What are you doing," he says after he grabs my hand, pulls it away from his face and kisses it.

"I'm looking for the snooze button," I say lazily.

Christian lets out a loud, booming laugh. His melodic voice bounces around my room and a small smile tugs at my lips.

"Come on, we still need to go to Toys-R-Us." He pinches my thigh.

"Ow!" I scream out, kick him, and turn around so that my back is facing him.

He snakes his arms around me and pulls me against his chest. His fingers start to move around my waist, tickling me. I try to get away from his but to no avail, he wraps one of his legs around both of mine, there is no way I can move.

"Christian, stop!" I scream out, hysterically laughing.

"Beg!" he laughs.

"Never!" I cry.

"Suit yourself." He keeps tickling me. I laugh so hard that tears start to fall.

"Alright, alright, you win! Please, Christian!" I yell in defeat.

"Is that what you call begging? Come on, baby, you can do better than that," he says and tickles me harder.

_He called me baby! _I think to myself.

"Okay, please, please, please, with a cherry on top. I'm awake. Stop!"

Finally he stops his assault and pulls away. I turn and lay on my back trying to catch my breath. Christian uses his thumb to wipe away the tears that escaped. I turn to face his and my heart skips a beat. I wonder if I will ever get used to him. I really hope not.

He's laying down on his side, facing me, his head is resting on his hand. The hand that was on my face move and rests lazily across my stomach. He looks down at me, his eyes alight with humor and a boyish grin plastered on his face. "Did you have a good nap?" he asks softly

"It was great, until you decide to wake me up." I pout.

He smiles at me and shakes his head. "You slept for four hours. We have things to do." He suddenly sits up and gets out of bed. He turns, bends down and picks me up.

"Hey, what are you doing? Put me down," I protest. Much to my surprise he sets me down by the foot of the bed. I stare at him shocked. "Wow, you actually listened."

He looks at me, a mischievous gleam appears in his eyes and his eyes move to the bathroom door then back to me. He raises an eyebrow. Oh no!

I turn and make a run for it, but before I can even get to the bedroom door I feel his arms wrap around my waist. "No, Christian, please," I beg as he turns me around and throws me over his shoulder. Oh crap, my shirt has ridden up, I reach around and try to pull the t-shirt down to hide my underwear, why did I wear a thong?

"Don't complain; a shower is the best way to wake up," Christian says and slaps my ass.

"Ow! What the hell!" I scream. Okay, two can play this game, I let go of my t-shirt and I move both my hands as far away from him as I can then bring the down as hard as I can muster and slap his butt. Ha!

"Oh, you shouldn't have down that," he says as we enter the bathroom. He walks straight to the walk in shower and turns it on. He grabs my waist with both his hands, lifts, me off him and sets me down in the middle of the shower.

I jump and yelp when the freezing cold water hits my skin, the t-shirt I'm wearing quickly becomes wet and clings to my skin. Christian is standing near the open shower door laughing hysterically; he is bend down, both his hands wrapped around his midsection. I take advantage of his distraction and grab the shower head, I've never been so happy to have a detachable shower head. I aim the it at him and he jumps back, surprised.

I don't let up, I take a few steps towards him, turn the shower on full blast and I turn the temperature down. Christian holds up his arms, trying to protect himself from the onslaught of water. He moves one of his arms and tries to reach for the shower head but I back away just in time. Christian steps forward and I back away again. Shit! Now I'm in the shower and I have nowhere to go; by the smile on his face I can tell that his was his idea all along.

He snatches the shower head out of my grasp and aims it at me. "Not so fun now, is it, Anastasia," he says triumphantly. I turn around, trying to hide my face, when I see the body wash. I brilliant idea pops into my head and I grab the body wash. I close my eyes and turn around. I open the body wash and squeeze, the water stops for a few seconds and I know I caught him. I keep squeezing until the bottle is empty and then throw it at Christian. I open my eyes and immediately start laughing at the sight in front of me.

Christian is standing in the middle of my bathroom, soaked, his clothes and his face are covered in pink body wash, and the shower head is pointed down as he tries to get keep the body wash from going into his eyes. "I'll take that!" I say as I reach for the shower head. I turn off the water and let it drop to the floor.

I look up at Christian and see him wiping the body wash from his forehead, once he's satisfied he looks down at me and we immediately start laughing.

"I think I won that," I tell him once our laughter dies down.

"It was a draw. I never lose," he says and takes a step towards me, before he can move the other foot he slips. I reach my hand out to help him, he grabs it and pulls me down with him.

Before I know it, I find myself laying on top of him, my arms on either side of him and my head is mere inches from his. I look up at him just in time to see him wince.

"I probably sprained my ankle again," he jokes, rubbing his head.

I immediately push away from him and sit on the floor. "Does it hurt? Don't get up!" I snap when he tries to sit up.

"Did you bump your head?" I ask, the doctor in me coming out.

"I'm fine! I didn't hit it that hard, I just fell on my ass," he says trying to reassure me.

I look at him skeptically. "Just lay down and I'll get my bag and check you over."

"Don't be ridiculous." He sits up anyways. "See, I'm completely fine," he says and moves his head all around, then his ankle.

"You are such a man." I sigh and look around my bathroom, it's a mess! "My bathroom!"

Christian looks around and a guilty look crosses his face. "I'm sorry. Don't worry, I'll hire someone to clean it. It will be spotless by the time we come back," he reassures me.

"Don't worry about it. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun," I say truthfully.

"Me too," he says and wraps his arm around my shoulder, his arm slick with body wash. He crosses his legs on the floor and pulls me onto his lap, I rest my head in the crook of his neck. I take a deep breath; he smells so good- of freshly washed linen, cucumber body wash, and some musky, manly scent.

An idea pops into my head and I jump out of his lap. He looks up at me, a confused look on his lovely face. "Where are you going?"

"You'll see," I say as I run into my bedroom. I grab my phone off the bed and go back to Christian. I sit down next to him and he pulls me on his lap again. "We need a picture of this," I explain.

"Give me," he says and reaches for my phone. He pulls me closer to him, and snaps a few pictures.

"Let me see," I request.

"Hold on."

"What are you doing?" I ask, curious.

"I just accepted myself on Instagram," he says as he hands me back the phone.

"I was going to accept you," I say as I stand up. I hand Christian a towel and grab one for myself.

"I wasn't going to take that chance," he says.

I shake my head and walk back into my bedroom. I peel off my wet T-shirt and wrap the towel around myself. Christian comes out of the bathroom with in a t-shirt and a towel around his hips, carrying his wet clothing.

"I'm going to need another change of clothes," he says. He pulls off his t-shirt and throws it down somewhere.

Could this man get any better looking? I could watch him walk around shirtless all day. He is the definition of washboard abs. He runs a towel through the coppery dusting of chest hair at the top of his chest, soaking up all the leftover drops of water. My eyes trail down his chest to his abs to his oh-so-happy trail.

"Where do you want these?" he says. My eyes snap back to his face, then to the clothes in his hand.

"Just throw them into the bathroom," I say distracted.

"Okay," he says, humor clear in his voice. An arrogant smirk is appears on his face, he's caught me, again. Oh well…

He turns around and I get a glimpse of his beautify, muscular back. I imagine my fingernails running down his back as he thrusts into me…

_Where the fuck did that come from?_ The rational part of my brain screams out. I shake my head, snapping out of my erotic daydream. I stare at his retreating figure when I suddenly notice little, round scars dotting his back. Before I can get a closer look he walks into the bathroom. I wonder what they are. Probably chicken pox scars.

While he's in the bathroom I try to undo my bra, but to no avail, the fabric is so wet that I can't undo it with one hand, and I can't let go of the towel. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of walking in on me naked.

"Having some trouble?" I hear Christian's smug voice coming from behind me.

I roll my eyes. "Can you undo it? It's stuck."

He walks up behind me, so close that I can feel the heat from his body. He runs a hand up my back, from where the towel begins to my bra. Using one hand he quickly snaps it open, he leans down and runs his nose up my neck. My heartbeat accelerates and my breathing becomes shallow. He grabs my hands in each one of his and sets them down on the bed, I now know to keep them still. He runs his hands up my arms until they reach my shoulders, then they simultaneously push the straps off my shoulders and they fall down my arms.

He kisses my neck then moves away, putting some much-needed distance between us. I push the bra off and it falls onto the bed. I wrap the towel around myself and turn around. "Thank you," I say and smile up at him. He puts his hands around my waist and lifts me up and sets me down on the bed.

"Sit," he commands.

"Yes, Sir!" I respond. I hear his sharp intake of breath and I see his eyes widen; satisfaction courses through me, it's good to know that I have an effect on him. I watch as he walks to the nightstand near my bed and grabs his Blackberry. He turns back to face me and leans against the nightstand, and looks down at his phone.

I take the opportunity to shamelessly stare at his chest. A small gasp escapes my lips when I notice small, round scars dotted around his chest, just like his back. From this distance I see that they are far too big to be Chicken Pox scars. A lump starts to form in my throat; they're cigarette burns! I treated a teenager in New York who burned himself with cigarettes because he was depressed. But these are different, older; they've had time to heal and I'm sure that Grace and Carrick didn't burn their son. So this must have happened before he was adopted, this is why he had that knowing look in his eyes when I brought up Anthony! Oh my God! This is why he freaked out when I almost touched him.

The realization makes me dizzy, thankfully I'm already sitting down. I just stare ahead as the information floods my brain. Who would do that to a child?

I snap out of my epiphany when I hear Christian's voice. "Taylor, I need you to bring me a change of clothing," Christian says then hangs up. I look at him and notice that he's staring at me intently, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He probably noticed my reaction to his scars. I take a deep breath and force a smile.

He walks towards me slowly and stops when he's about a foot away from me. I reach my hand out to him and he tenses a little, something I've never noticed before. I keep my hand outstretched, he eventually moves closer and I put my hand on his cheek. He grasps my wrist and leans into my touch. I look into his eyes and for a moment he looks scared. _Oh baby, who hurt you?_

"Why don't you like to be touched?" I ask timidly. I don't want to say anything that will set him off.

"Because I'm fifty shades of fucked up, Anastasia," he says. I blink up at him, his honesty is disarming.

"The scars aren't chicken pox are they?" I ask softly and look into his deep, burning gray eyes.

His face stays impassive and calm, but his eyes tell a different story. Hurt and anger flicker through them. "No," he says softly. "I had a difficult start to life, and it's not something I would like to dive into." He turns and kisses my palm then moves back. "I'll let you get dressed." He turns and walks out of my room, closing the door behind him.

I sit there reeling from the 'tough introduction to life' comment. I am desperate to know more but he won't tell me and I don't want to push it. He can be so fun and easy-going then turn around and be-well fifty shades of fucked up. He summed it up well.

_Our poor Fifty, _my subconscious sighs as I get off the bed.

_Our? He's not ours! _I think to myself. I stop mid stride; I'm talking to myself! This is not good. I grab my phone and call Dr. Stevens office, I have to squeeze in a session before this weekend.

"Dr. Stevens office, Margie speaking," Margie's kind voice comes through the speaker.

"Hi, Margie. It's Ana Steele."

"Dr. Steele-Ana, how are you, dear?" she asks.

"I'm good. I was just wondering if you could fit me in this week. I'm free Thursday, but I can probably sneak away for an hour or two any day this week," I tell her.

"Hold on one second, dear," she tells me and puts me on hold.

I set the phone on top of my dresser and look through my underwear drawer and pull out a charcoal lace bra and panties set from Coco de Mer. The bra is a demi cup and it emphasizes my C cup breasts and the panties are blush satin cheekster's with charcoal lace over them. I set the underwear on the bed and walk to my closet to pick out an outfit. I decide on an orange, blue, and tan pencil skirt with a cool stripe pattern and a loose Chambéry shirt, for the shoes I decide on blush and gold flats. I place everything on the bed just in time for Margie to speak.

"How does tomorrow at 7pm work for you? You'll be the last patient of the day so you can stay as long as you would like."

I think over my schedule, I have a surgery in the morning and rounds start at 4 pm so I should be done by 7 pm. "That's perfect. Thank you!" I say gratefully.

"No problem. I will see you tomorrow!" she says and hands up.

I unwrap the towel from around my body and wrap it around my messy, dirty hair. I quickly put my clothes on and walk out of my room and look for Christian. I find him sitting on one of the bar stools by the island, still in just a towel, hunched over a bowl of cereal. The Reese's cereal box and a carton of milk are on either side of him. He turns when he hears me coming, his mouth full of cereal.

"Good?" I ask when I get to him.

"Amazing," he says after swallowing the mouthful of cereal. "It's my second bowl," he confesses.

"You are going to get fat," I laugh as he takes another spoonful.

He glares at me as he swallows the cereal. "Have some." He holds a spoonful of cereal, I open my mouth and he put the spoon in, then he takes a spoonful for himself.

I start chewing then realize that the cereal is soggy. Gross! I quickly swallow it and suppress a gag, then run to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "Ew! The cereal is soggy!" I complain.

"That's how I like it." He shrugs.

"How the hell likes soggy cereal?" I yell after I down the whole bottle of water. Before Christian has a chance to respond two quick knocks to the door interrupt us.

"That's Taylor," Christian says.

"I'll get it, just finish eating that crap." I turn and walk to the door. When I open it I'm faced with well over 6ft of muscle. For the first time I get a good look at the elusive Taylor. He's actually quite handsome, deep, blue eyes framed by blond eyebrows and his sandy blond hair is cut into a buzz cut. For some reason he reminds me of my father and I immediately like him.

"Hello, Taylor, please come in," I tell him cheerfully.

He gives me a brief smile, which looks very strange on his stern face, and walks in. "Dr. Steele, how are you?" he asks politely

"Please, call me Ana. And I'm wonderful. How about you?" I ask I lead him into the kitchen.

"I'm good, thank you for asking," he says.

"Thank you, Taylor," Christian says as Taylor hands him the bag of clothing.

"Sir." He nods.

Christian takes the bag and walks into my bedroom, both Taylor and I watch his retreating figure. I turn to Taylor. "Would you like anything to drink? Juice? Coffee? Water? I have some cookies if you'd like. Or maybe a bowl of cereal?"

"No thank you, Dr-Ana, I'm good," he politely declines.

"You have to try my red velvet cookies, they are the best. I will not take no for an answer. Now sit down," I say.

He gives me a small smile, which fades away as quickly as it came then sits down on one of the bar stools. I set a few cookies and pour him a glass of milk. "Thank you," he says.

"No problem." I turn and rinse off the dishes that Christian ate in.

"These are amazing," Taylor says appreciatively and hands me the empty plate and glass.

"Thank you! I will wrap some up for you to take when you leave," I tell him.

"That would be fantastic."

"What would be fantastic?" Christian asks when he gets into the kitchen.

"I'm going to wrap some cookies up for Taylor to take home." I turn to face Christian. My jaw almost drops when I see him. He's standing by the dinning room wearing blue, faded, ripped jeans with a gray graphic t-shirt and a brown sports coat on top, the sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing off his muscular forearms. The look is completed by dark blue Convers and his trademark messy copper hair.

He glares at Taylor. "What time does the cleaning service get here?" he asks.

"They should be here in about 10 minutes," Taylor responds.

Christian turns to me. "Do you mind if Taylor stays here to let them in and when they are cleaning?" he asks.

"No problem. When you go just close the door it locks automatically. Please make yourself at home, the remote is on the table, I have ESPN; there are snacks in the cupboard to the right of the fridge and soda in the fridge, help yourself," I tell Taylor, pointing out where everything is.

I quickly grab a paper plate and pile cookies onto it then wrap it with tin foil. I set it down on the counter right in front of Taylor.

"Great, ready to go?" Christian asks impatiently.

I point up to my head. "Does this look like I'm ready?"

"Hurry!" he snaps.

"Okay! Don't get you panties in a twist." I run to the guest bathroom and quickly throw my hair into a messy side ponytail and kick on my shoes. I run to my closet and grab my big Louis Vuitton tote bag and throw everything I need into it. I run out into the kitchen. "Okay, all set! Bye, Taylor! Don't forget your cookies!" I yell as Christian pushes me out the door.

"Wait I need my car keys," I say when we are about halfway to the elevator.

"I have them," he says and grabs my hand.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

_He's fifty shades of mood swings, he PMS's worst than you do, _my subconscious snares.

"You were flirting with Taylor!" he yells and glares at me.

I laugh at the ridiculousness of his accusation. "Don't be obtuse, I was being nice."

"You weren't flirting?" he asks.

"No! Why would I flirt with Taylor? He reminds me of my father," I reassure him.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." I shake my head as the elevator doors open. Christian leads me inside, when I turn around the face the doors I catch a glimpse at our reflection.

"We match," I tell Christian, pointing at our reflection.

"Huh, we do," he says then looks back at his Blackberry. Where the hell did it come from? He wasn't holding it a second ago.

I snatch the Blackberry out of his hand, our hands brush against each other slightl. It causes a rush of electricity to shoot up my arm and down to my stomach. I shake my head and press the camera icon.

"What are you doing?" he asks exasperated.

"It's very rude to email while you're with someone," I explain. I take a few pictures of myself using the mirror. "Either get into the picture or get out. You're just in the background looking grumpy."

I hear him sigh, but he wraps his arm around me and I snap a few pictures. "Can I have my phone back now?" he asks.

"Hold on." I turn to the front camera and snap a few selfies then hand him back his phone, just as the elevator stops.

He puts his phone in his pocket. "You are so challenging," he says with a small smile on his lips. He takes my hand and leads me out into the garage.

"You can drive if you want," I tell him.

"I was planning on it," he says as he opens the passenger side door. I walk to the door and stand on my toes, I gently press my lips to his then get in the car. He closes the door behind me and walks around the car with easy grace. He folds his long frame into the car and smoothly pulls out of the garage.

Once we are on the street he reaches his hand over and intertwines his fingers with mine. We spend the car ride to Toys-R-Us fighting over what music to listen to and talking about the concerts we've gone to. The light, fun conversation flows easily; by the time we get to the store we are both laughing about a story he's telling about a Shania Twain concert he went to.

"And that's why I no longer like country," he finishes as he opens my door.

"You can't judge a whole genre based solely on one concert," I say defensively.

"Were you not listening? He peed on my shoe then spit his tooth into my beer. You don't mess with a man's' beer." He looks at me in utter disbelief.

"I get it, but still; I think you need to give country another try." I shrug as we walk into Toys-R-Us.

"So what do you need exactly?" Christian asks.

"I don't know; I want to get Anthony a few toys. All the other kids in the children's ward have parents that bring them gifts, I don't want him to feel left out. Let's go to the boy's section and we'll see what they have," I explain.

Christian grabs a cart and we go to the boys section. Once we get there I see Christian's face light up like a Christmas tree, his eyes widen when he takes in the aisles full of remote-controlled cars and helicopters. _Boys never outgrow their toys,_ my mother's voice rings in my ear.

"Earth to Christian," I say snapping him out of it.

"Maybe he will like a helicopter," Christian suggests.

"He's 6, these all say 8 and up," I tell him.

He frowns and his eyebrows knit together in concentration. "How about matchbox cars? I had some at his age and they were my favorite toy."

"Okay." I grab a box with a huge truck inside, the truck is full of little cars, ramps and road signs.

I see some Transformer toys, my cousin loves them so I grab Anthony a few. I turn to put the toys in the cart and see that Christian is missing. I decide to just stay in this aisle and wait for him to come back. While I wait I pick up a remote-controlled car; Anthony seems like brilliant little boy, I'm sure he'll have no trouble playing with it. I grab it and walk back to the cart, just as I put the car in I see Christian walking towards me with a cape around his neck holding a handful of boxes.

"Before you say anything, these are Legos, and every little boy needs Legos, and a cape," he explains.

I raise both my hands up in defeat. "I think we are good," I say as I look into the cart.

"Yeah, this is good." Christian agrees.

Christian pushes the cart to the checkout counter and I pull my card out of my wallet, I don't want a repeat of this morning.

"Good evening folks," the elderly cashier greets us.

"Hello," Christian and I say simultaneously.

The woman laughs. "Lots of presents for your kiddies, I see. How many do you have?"

Her question catches both Christian and I off guard. "Oh no, we don't have kids. I mean we aren't together that's why we don't have kids," I babble.

"I'm sorry, dearie," she says and gives me an apologetic smile.

I hand her my card. "It's okay," I respond. I look around the store, avoiding eye contact with Christia. I know that if I look at him I'll break out into a fit of laughter.

She hands me back my card. "Have a good night."

"Thank you," Christian says.

"Do I look like I've had multiple children?" I say, mostly to myself as we walk out the door. I hear Christian laugh beside me.

I glare at him. "She wasn't calling you fat or anything. She just saw a lot of toys, of varying age groups and assumed we had a lot of kids." He shrugs.

"Like I would have kids with you," I say in mock disgust.

"You wound me! Here I though we would have two kids, a dog and live in suburban Seattle." He slumps his shoulders in defeat.

"I'm not a big fan of dogs," I says.

"Neither am I," he admits.

"Then why would we have a dog?"

"It sounded good." He shrugs then laughs. He unlocks the car and together we quickly put all the toys away and he opens my door again.

As I sit down I can't help but think about how good it actually does sound. The perfect family.

_What are you doing?! Don't you remember happened last time you thought like that? He was joking! He's fifty shades of fucked up and you're not much better! Stop this stupidity_, the rational part of my brain screams at me venomously.

Christian gets into the car and smiles at me. I fake a smile, where can this possibly go? What am I doing to myself? He's repeatedly told me that he doesn't 'do the girlfriend thing'. He has some deep, dark secret that he's certain will send me running for the hills; and a past that includes cigarette burns on his chest and back. And here I am dreaming about a white picket fence and kids.

I think back to the quote that he sent with the books and a lump forms in my throat, what if he ends up being like Maxwell? I promised myself a long time ago that I will never go back to being That girl and I won't!

Christian grasps my hand and runs his thumb across my knuckles, almost reassuringly. I turn to face him and see him looking at me with a concerned expression on his face. I bring his hand up to my lips, kiss it and give him a small reassuring smile. He smiles back but it doesn't reach his eyes; concern and confusion linger in his hypnotic gray eyes.

I turn and face the windshield, suddenly nervous. Am I prepared to let him into my life and take the chance of getting my heartbroken again, or worst?

Christian gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. I look at him and in that moment I decide that for him I can. I will give him the benefit of the doubt, no matter what his secret is, because for some reason he makes me feel alive, cherished, safe, and he brings out a side of me I thought died That Night…

**So how was it? Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. It is defiantly lighter than the others. Let me know what you all think, I love reading your comments. Until next time, ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any) please review, fav, follow, and check out the Pinterest page, link in the Bio. I should be updating very soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi everyone! I can't apologize enough for my late update. I was not expecting it to take so long. School has been kicking my ass; who knew the last year of pre-med would be so difficult! Anyways, I am really sorry. Thank you to all the people who PMed me and reviewed. I really appreciate you guys reading, I love this story but I don't want to compromise my schoolwork. I hope you all understand why it will take a little longer for me to update from now on. I will be updating every other Friday night. I want to have enough time to make good chapters. I don't want to give you guys crap for the sake of updating. I take pride in my story and I would rather it take longer for me to update and have quality chapters than update every week and it be crap. I hope you all understand.**

**To everyone that read the last chapter thank you! I loved reading your reviews and thank you so much for following the board on Pinterest, link in my bio. I have added a few pictures to it, too. **

**As an apology I did write a little of this chapter form Christian's point of view and there are a lot of cute Anthony moments. Hopefully that makes up for the late update. Please let me know what you think about this chapter, especially about the CPOV part, and be honest; if you don't like it I won't do it again. Please review, follow, fav and check out Pinterest. **

**-Lily**

"So we're going to the hospital now, right?" Christian asks, thankfully distracting me from my train of thought. I don't need another panic attack.

"Yup," I respond cheerfully and I hear Christian let out a relieved sigh. He pulls out onto the street and heads downtown.

I reach over with my free hand and turn on the radio. "What do you want to listen to?" I ask Christian.

"As long as it's not country, I don't care," he says and looks at me, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Okay," I give in. I turn the radio on and flip through the stations until I hear Drake's 'best I ever had'. "I love this song," I squeal.

"Really?" Christian pulls a face.

"What?"

"You have horrible taste in music," he responds.

I gasp in mock offense. "I do not! What's wrong with Drake? Don't you dare insult my future husband," I warn.

Christians booming, melodic laugh fills the car. He looks at me quickly, an eyebrow raised. "Does he know that?"

"Not yet. But he will," I respond confidently.

"I wish you the best of luck," he says, humor evident in his voice.

"Thank you," I say as the song comes to an end. I start flipping through the stations again and settle on one that's playing soft rock. "Better?"

"Much." He grins down at me, a full, thousand megawatt smile that momentarily stops my heart.

I sit back against the seat and stare out the window. I absentmindedly play with Christian's fingers as I watch people walk around, going about their day. A familiar tone that I can't place starts playing as I zone out.

I'm quickly brought back when I hear Christian softly singing beside me. His deep, raspy, soothing voice fills the car. I sit, unmoving as he sings along to 'wherever you will go', is there anything this man can't do?

_Our Fifty is so talented, _my subconscious swoons. I sigh contently turn back to people watching. The closer we get to downtown the more people I see walking around. The song comes to an end and I stifle a yawn.

"Are you still tired?" Christian asks teasingly. "You just had a nap."

I glare at his profile. "If it wasn't for you, I would have spent the whole day in bed."

"We could have spent the whole day in bed. But you wouldn't have gotten much sleep." He turns and winks at me.

"Mr. Grey! I am a lady," I scold him.

"So?" he asks, a bad boy smirk on his face.

I open my mouth to respond when my phone starts ringing. I quickly fish it out of my bag and answer, not bothering to look at who called.

"Dr. Steele," I answer.

"Ana? Are you at the hospital?" Elliot's frazzled voice comes through the speaker.

"I'm on my way right now. But I'm not working. Why?" I ask, curiosity evident in my voice.

"I'll be in your office in five minutes," he says briskly. It's so unlike him to be this serious.

"Are you okay, Elliot?" I ask. Christian turns to me at the mention of his brother's name, a questioning look on his face.

"I can't explain it over the phone. I just need your help," he responds.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. Just wait in my office."

"Thank you." He hangs up.

"Was that my brother?" Christian asks.

"Yeah. He sounded weird, I think something's wrong," I respond, worried.

Christian snorts. "He probably has an STD or something," he responds calmly.

"You'll feel like an asshole if something is wrong with him," I scold.

"We'll see," he says pulling into the hospital parking lot. I quickly direct him to my parking spot and as soon as he stops the car I jump out.

"Leave the toy's, we'll come back for them," I say as he walks around the car to meet me.

"You are overreacting," he says then shakes his head and grabs my hand. We walk into the hospital and I lead Christian to my office.

A couple doors down from my office I notice Elliot standing awkwardly against the door, phone in hand. He looks up when he hears footsteps and a look of utter shock crosses his face. He looks at Christian then me then our intertwined hands. The shock quickly turns to confusion then to realization.

"I would love to know what's going on here-" he motions at Christian and I. "But I need your help right now." He grabs my free hand and pulls me into my office, swiftly shutting and locking the door behind us.

I turn on the lights and look at Elliot. "What's wrong?"

"I have a rash…" he confesses, his head down.

"A rash? Where?" I ask.

"Um…"

"Elliot, I'm a doctor, there is nothing to be embarrassed about," I say in my most soothing doctor voice.

He lets out a sigh and reaches for his pants. He quickly unzips his fly and pushes his pants and underwear down.

I stare at him confused. "What are yo-" I gasp when he pulls his shirt up and I see what he's talking about.

"It's herpes right? Oh God! I have herpes!" He yells, panicking.

"I told you it was an STD!" I hear Christian's voice coming from the other side of the door. I turn around, unlock the door and open it forcefully. "Ow!" Christian yells.

I quickly close the door and lock it again. "Stop eavesdropping!"

I turn back to Elliot, who has tears in his eyes. "Okay, breath. I'll do a quick exam. I'll be able to tell if it's herpes just taking a closer look at it. But just to be sure we can run a test," I tell him. I grab gloves from my desk and start the examination.

"This is not herpes, I have seen people with herpes and this isn't what it looks like. You have Syphilis. I'll do an STD test, but I am 100% sure it's not herpes," I say confidently as I walk to the trash to throw away my gloves.

Elliot lets out a relieved breath and runs to me. He engulfs me in a bear hug and spins me around. "Oh thank God! I don't have herpes!" he screams as he spins me around. After a couple of turns he sets me down, grabs my face and gives me a wet, sloppy kiss on the lips.

"I'll go grab a kit and I'll be right back," I say after he lets me go. I open the door with one hand as I wipe my lips with the other; Elliot slobbered all over me.

I look up to see Christian sitting against the wall, blackberry in hand. He looks up and anger flashes in his eyes. "Did he kiss you?" he asks angrily.

"Yes and it was disgusting," I say, trying to calm him down.

He immediately relaxes. "So it's not herpes?"

"I am not at liberty to share that information," I respond as I walk down the hall. I notice a nurse coming down the hallway.

I wave at her and she walks over to me. "I need you to get an STD kit, ASAP," I tell her. She nods and rushes down the hallway. I turn back to Christian, who's staring at me, an amused expression on his face.

"What?" I smile up at him.

"Nothing." He shrugs, the grin on his face widens.

"You're being weird," I tell him and shake my head.

Before he can say anything the nurse runs to me with the kit, I thank her and take it. The grin on Christians face widens further, anymore and it would split his face in two.

"What is so funny?" I half yell at him.

"I told you so! I told you it was an STD. This is going to give me years' worth of blackmail," he exclaims.

I shake my head in disbelief. "You're a horrible person," I say teasingly scold him and walk back into the exam room.

**CPOV**

I lean back against the wall, staring at her retreating figure, mostly her delectable ass. It looks perfect in her tight skirt, and my cock twitches in response. _Fuck! What am I, fourteen? _This has been happening all day, hopefully it stops when I get her into my bed.

_Your bed? Get a grip, Grey!_

I have to stop thinking like that. There is no way someone like her could ever been interested in the lifestyle-my lifestyle. But I can't stop thinking about her, ever since she fell into my office two weeks ago she's all I have been thinking about-

"What the fuck? No way!" Elliot's loud protest comes through the door, pulling me out of my train of thought.

"Stay still!" Ana's sweet voice commands.

I can just picture her now, her wide, blue eyes narrowed, lips pressed in a hard line and her hands on her hips; she's like a kitten that thinks she's a lion.

"Okay! Ow! Careful!" Elliot yells.

"You should've thought of this before you screwed some whore without a condom!" Anastasia yells.

I shake my head and a laugh escapes my lips; I've never met anyone who can make me laugh like she does.

I slide down the wall and sit on the floor, crossing my legs under me, this may be a while. I grab my phone and go onto Instagram, I've been waiting all day to look through her pictures. Her background check only left me more confused about her, so this may be my only opportunity to find out a little more about her.

I wait for the pictures to load, which doesn't take long because she's the only one I'm following. The first think I see is Ana's smiling face, her long brown hair is tangled all around her face, her blue eyes are shinning. She looks so young and carefree. I touch the picture and a short video starts to play.

She's in short shorts and a tight tank top dancing around an unfamiliar bedroom singling along with the song. The video ends as quickly as it began and I keep scrolling down. Most of the pictures are of her and various friends, mostly Enoska and Karina and a few I don't recognize. I stop scrolling when I see a picture of her and a brown haired guy. The fucker has his hand around her shoulder and he's kissing her cheek.

Rage rushes through me and I almost throw my phone against the door. I lock my phone and take a few deep breaths. My intense reaction scares me; I shouldn't care this much, but I do.

That asshole must be Nick, the friend. The thought is sobering, they seemed extremely comfortable with each other, and it's easy to tell that they've known each other for a long time, they seem close. Maybe she has more feelings for him than she led on. The thought is unpleasant. I run both my hands through my hair.

"You are going to be bald by 35 if you keep doing that," Ana teases in her soft, melodic voice.

My eyes run up her beautiful, curvy body. She is defiantly fuller than any of my other Subs. Her smile catches me off guard, every time I look at her my heart races.

_Why don't you just cut off your dick and start reciting Shakespeare?_

I give her my most charming smile. "Are you done?"

She lets out a sigh and shudders. "Yes! Thankfully. When the results come back the nurse will just give him a shot of Penicillin and he'll be all set."

"Well, thank you Dr. Steele. You saved my brother from a life of insanity," I tell her.

"You'll get the bill, and I will be adding an extra charge to pay for the therapy I need to un-see what I just saw in there," she says and giggles.

"Shall we go?" I ask her.

She nods and holds out her hand to help me up. I take her hand and the all too familiar electric shock rushes through my arm and goes straight toy cock. Every time I'm near her or touch her I get the same feeling. It's usually a dull buzz in the air but when I hold her hand or kiss her, electricity courses through my body. By her gasp I know she feels it, too.

I stand up and look down at her, I reach over and tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "Do you want to go get the toys?"

"Oh yeah! I completely forgot. It's been a long day," she says.

"And I've enjoyed every minute of it," I tell her honestly. A shy smile appears on her face and my chest swells with pride. I made her smile.

**APOV**

Christian intertwines out fingers and we head out to the car in comfortable silence. Once we get to the car Christian opens the trunk and we pull out the bags full of Toys. Christian insists on taking the majority of them, leaving me with only one bag.

I look at all the bags Christian's holding. "Do you think we went a little overboard?" I ask him as we enter the hospital.

He looks down at the bags in his hand then back at me. "Maybe a little." He grimaces. "But who cares; it's not like anyone else is buying him toys," he continues.

"You're right. Maybe we should have gotten him some books," I wonder out loud.

"We can get him more things next week. I don't think he'd care about books with all these toys." Christian laughs.

_We can get him more things next week, _the words shock me. Does that mean he has plans for us to still be together after the big reveal next weekend?

"Dr. Steele! Good to see you!" Nurse Angie says from her seat at the nurse's station.

"You, too. How's Anthony?" I ask.

"He has been asking about you since he woke up. He's only been awake for about an hour. I told him-" she trails off when she notices Christian. Her eyes widen and her cheeks turn red. _Not her, too!_

"I'm going to check on Anthony," I tell her annoyed. I turn to Christian. "Can you wait here for a little? I don't want to overwhelm him," I tell Christian.

"Of course," he agrees.

I give him a small smile and set the bag I was holding down and head to Anthony's room. I knock softly when I get to the door and poke my head around the door.

"Ana!" he yells in his sweet voice.

"Anthony!" I imitate his tone of voice.

"Where you go?" he asks, his wide, baby blue eyes assess me as I walk into the room.

"I had to go to my house. I need sleep," I explain.

"You can sleep with me," he suggests hopefully. "I have a big bed," he says stubbornly.

"I know, baby, but this is your bed. I have to sleep in mine. But I'm here now, and I brought you presents," I tell him.

"Presents?" His eyes widen with excitement.

"Yes, lots and lots of presents. I have a friend who helped me pick them out and he'll bring them in, okay? He's very nice, so you don't need to be afraid, okay?" I tell him calmly.

Anthony doesn't feel comfortable with men, he freaked out when a male nurse came to check on him two nights ago. It pains me to think of why this is the case. Anthony tenses slightly but nods, the promise of presents outweighs the fear.

"I'll go get him, okay?" I ask softly. I give his little hand a reassuring squeeze and leave his side.

I walk out and see Christian sitting on one of the waiting room chairs. I motion for him to come in and walk back into Anthony's room. I find Anthony sitting up in his bed, clutching his little, dirty teddy bear. Hopefully he likes the teddy bear I got him more and lets one of us wash this one.

"Can I sit with you?" I ask softly.

He nods his head frantically. I kick my shoes off and climb into the bed, carefully as not to snag any of his IV's. I put my arm around his little shoulder as I hear a soft knock on the door. Anthony immediately tenses and snuggles into me.

"Come in," I say.

Christian pokes his head through the door, a cautious smile on his face. "Hello, there. I have a delivery for Anthony. Is this the right room?" Christian says in a soft, playful tone that melts my heart.

I feel Anthony's head moving up and down against my side. Christian's smile widens and he walks through the door carrying all the bags. I look down at Anthony in time to see his little eyes widen and his mouth drop.

Christian walks over to the chairs in the corner of the room and sets all the bags down. He then walks over to Anthony and I, Anthony clasps my hand and squeezes.

Christian stops a few feet away from the bed and Anthony immediately relaxes.

"Why don't you say 'hi' to Christian," I suggest.

"Hi, Christian," Anthony says timidly.

"Hi, Anthony, I'm Christian, Ana's friend. I've heard a lot about you, it's great to meet you." He holds his hand out, palm up, asking for a high five.

Anthony hesitates and looks up at me. I give him an encouraging smile and nod. He reaches his little hand out, taps Christian's hand and quickly pulls away.

"Aww, you can do better than that," Christian challenges and holds his hand out again. Anthony's little eyebrows furrow and he takes a deep breath. He reaches his hand out and slaps Christian's hand with all his might.

"Oh, Wow!" Christian says rubbing his hand. "You are so strong. My hand hurts now."

I look down to see a triumphant smile spread across Anthony's face and he visibly relaxes.

"Do you want to play with some of your toys?" Christian asks.

"Yes, please," Anthony quickly responds. Christian smiles at him and turns to the chair and grabs a few bags. He walks back to us and sets the bags down on the bed.

"Let's see what we have here," Christian says. He pulls out a superman cape, a batman cape and a blue teddy bear.

"Wow!" Anthony says and reaches for the capes.

"Which do you want to wear right now?" I ask him.

"Superman and Christian can be batman," he says excitedly. I look at Christian and our eyes meet, a shy smile spreads on his face and my heart melts.

"Whatever you want, buddy," Christian says and hands him the Superman cape. I help Anthony put on his cape and Christian makes quick work of putting his on.

A wide smile spreads on Anthony's face. "So cool. Ana, can I get up?" he asks, looking up at me through his lashes. I can't say no to that adorable face.

"I'll ask Nurse Angie." I give in. I climb off the bed and go out to the nurse's station. I find Nurse Angie filling out a chart.

"Angie, can you take out Antony's IV. It'll only be out for a couple hours, then we can put it back in since it's on a central line," I tell her.

"Sure," she agrees and gets up. She follows me back to Anthony's room, where we find him and Christian ripping apart a box full of little cars.

"Alright, buddy, Nurse Angie will take the tube out of your arm so you can play. But you have to be careful with it when you play. You don't want to have to get another needle, right?" I tell him.

"I promise I'll be careful," he says seriously. The serious look on his little face makes me want to laugh.

Christian moves from his place on the bed and comes to stand behind me. He wraps both his arms around my waist and we watch Angie take out the IV tube. Once she's done she quietly leaves.

"Can we race now?" Anthony looks up at Christian exactingly.

"Yeah! Do you need help getting off the bed? Or can you do it by yourself?" Christian asks.

"I can do it by myself," Anthony insists. He makes quick work of getting out of the bed and reaches for the box of cars and grabs it. He walks over to us and sets them on the floor, he picks a blue one and sets it down on the side. Then he picks up a black one and hands it to Christian and gives me a red one.

Christian let's go of my waist and kneels on the floor, I follow his lead and sit on the floor. We watch as Anthony walks away with the box of cars. He sets it down about 5 feet away and turns to us. "This is the finish line," he explains.

Christian and I look at each other and laugh. He walks back up, grabs his car and sits between Christian and I.

"Alright, first one to get there car across the finish line wins. Ready, set, go!" Christian says. We make sure to launch our cars a few seconds after Anthony so he wins.

"Again, again," Anthony yells.

We spend the rest of the evening playing with him. We do a few more races, then Christian takes out the helicopter. I think he was more excited to play with it than Anthony was. I sit on the chair in the corner and watch them play.

Anthony is completely relaxed around Christian, he even let Christian lift him up and play superman. Christian seems at ease with Anthony; he's so good with him. Watching him play with Anthony makes me like him even more.

By 8 o'clock Anthony is wiped out. Four hours of endless playing can do that to a child. He's sitting on the floor with Christian racing the cars, his little eyes closing.

"I think it's time for bed, bud," I tell him.

He looks up at me with tired eyes. "I'm not tired," he protests.

"You need to sleep, buddy. If you don't sleep you won't become a big boy," Christian tells him.

Anthony yawns and rubs his eyes. "Okay." He pouts.

I walk up to him, lift him up and set him down on the bed. I reattach his IV as Christian cleans up the toys.

"You're coming back tomorrow, right?" he asks me.

"Of course, I will be here when you wake up," I promise him.

"How about Christian?" he asks, his eyes fluttering shut.

"He has to work tomorrow," I tell Anthony.

"I'll be back soon, I promise," Christian says as he comes to stand by my side.

A soft smile appears on Anthony's face as his eyes close. Christian and I quietly walk out of his room and shut the door. I say goodbye to the nurses and we head out.

Christian grabs my hand as we walk. "He is such a nice kid," he says.

"I know. I never get attached to my patients but I can't help it. He is so cute," I say.

"What's going to happen to him?" Christian asks.

"I have no idea. I'm not his main doctor. But if they don't find any relatives he will go into the foster care system; unless someone adopts him," I respond.

"He deserves a good family," Christian says wistfully.

I nod in agreement, we walk in silence to the garage; both lost in our thoughts. When we reach the car he unlocks the door and walks with me to the passenger side. He pushes me against the car and his mouth attacks mine without warning. His kiss is desperate and wanting, his hands wrap around my waist, pulling me towards him. My hands automatically go to his hair as his tongue makes its way into my mouth. And I'm lost, lost in the moment, lost in him. After a few minutes he pulls away and our eyes lock. "What are you doing to me," he sighs.

He leans down and kisses me again, this time it's tender,and dare I say it, loving. His mouth caresses mine, all the urgency gone, we just move together, a slow, sensual dance that leaves me breathless when he pulls away. He pushes away from me and leans against the car, his breathing just as uneven as mine.

Once we catch out breaths he turns and smiles at me, a blinding thousand megawatt smile that sends my heart racing and soaks my panties further. He walks around me and opens the passenger door. "In you go," he says and slaps my butt as I step into the car.

"Hey!" I laugh. He closes the door behind me and walks around the car and gracefully gets in.

"Where to now, Dr. Steele?" he asks as he pulls out of the parking lot.

"How about I cook you dinner?" I suggest.

"That sounds fantastic." He smiles at me.

** So what did you all think? I hope that it was worth the wait. Please let me know what you all thought of it and be honest! I can't make the story better if you don't tell me what's wrong with it. I do apologize for any spelling errors, I am writing this at midnight and I'm exhausted. I love you guys and thank you so much for your continued support, see you in a couple weeks, hopefully sooner. I will try to update as often as I can, but I promise a new chapter every other Friday! Please let me know what you think. Review, follow, fav, and check out Pinterest, link in my Bio!**

**-Lily**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi everyone! Wow Friday already. Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews and being so patient with me. This chapter is a little longer and it basically closes out the whole day. I love everyone's reaction to the Anthony moment! I loved it too, I adore Anthony, I wish he was real. Also thank you all for your kind reviews on Christian's POV; I've never written from a male perspective and it was challenging. Since a lot of you liked it I decided to do the first part of this chapter from his POV, hopefully you like it. Again if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know. **

**Thank you all for your continued support, please review, follow, fav and check out the Pinterest page, link in the Bio. **

**Love you all**

**-Lily **

**CPOV**

"That sounds fantastic." I smile down at her. Every time I look at her I smile. That's never happened before.

"What do you want to eat?" she asks as I turn back to face the road; it's a wonder I haven't crashed yet.

"Whatever you make would be fine. You can cook, right?" I ask teasingly. I know she can cook. _Elliot never shuts up about it. _Thinking of Elliot immediately makes me smile. I can't wait to tell Grace about his little incident.

"Yes I can cook!" She fires back quickly. "What's so funny?"

"I'm just thinking about Elliot," I confess. I turn to face her in time to see a look of disapproval cross her pretty face.

"Don't embarrass him! This experience was obviously very hard on him, he was so scared," she scolds me, her voice firm.

The tone of her voice goes straight to my cock. _Down, boy!_

"I have spent my whole life being teased by Elliot. I finally have something and I can't use it?" I say my voice whiney.

Her sweet giggle fills the car and my heart skips a beat, I love the sound of her laughter. "I'm sure you'll find a way to survive this," she teases me through her giggles. I turn to scowl at her when we stop at a red light.

"Are you laughing at me, Dr. Steele?" I say in my most menacing voice. Her laughter immediately stops and a blush colors her cheeks. She shakes her head and bits her lip, probably to keep from laughing. Her pale blue eyes twinkle with amusement.

"I would never laugh at you, Christian." Her lips caress my name and it takes all my self control not to take her right here in the car.

The light turns green and I turn my attention back to driving. I reach my hand over and grasp her had. The electric current rushes up my arm again and I hear her sharp intake of breath. _So she feels it, too._

"What is your favorite place that you have ever been to?" she asks out of nowhere.

The question catches me off guard. All her questions do, they are so simple, but no one has ever bothered to ask me any of them. I think for a moment. "Australia," I answer eventually.

"Why?"

"It was beautiful. Everyone there was so relaxed and we went to a show at the Sydney Opera House. By far the best vacation I have ever been on," I tell her. The memories of that trip come flooding through my mind. It was before everything went bad, before the drinking and the fighting. My parents weren't afraid of me, no yelling. It was the last summer before it all went downhill.

"How old were you?" she asks.

"I was 12, I have always wanted to go back, but I've never gotten the chance," I tell her.

"Oh, you could always take a few weeks off and go. I'm sure GEH would survive," she teases me and my mood immediately lightens.

"I don't want to risk it. How about you? What was your favorite vacation?" I ask her. She is so closed off, I will take any chance to get information about her life before Seattle.

She tilts her head to one side and her eyebrows furrow in concentrations. She looks so adorable. _You're getting soft, Grey!_

"I don't really have a favorite vacation. Every family vacation we took when I was growing up was my favorite. We usually drove; my mother saw it as 'bonding time'. I guess she had a point, we barely say each other during the year, my sister and I had school and countless activities and she and my father worked. So we only saw each other during dinner. But yeah, we always took amazing road trips," she says fondly, a faraway look in her eyes.

She's still not giving up any real information. "You didn't answer my question."

"I just did," she defends herself.

"Details, Ana. I want details!"

"You didn't give me any details," she responds. She always has an answer for everything, I shake my head. "You give me details, I give you details," she says.

"You are so difficult," I say as I pull into her underground garage.

"Back at you, Grey."

**APOV**

I direct him to my parking spot and he quickly pulls and shuts off the engine. I grab my bag from the back seat and before I know it he's on my side of the car holding the door open.

"Thank you." I smile up at him and stand on my toes and give him a peck on the lips. His hand immediately goes to my waist but I pull away. "Come on, I'm hungry," I tell him.

He shakes his head, closes the door and follows me to the elevator.

"So what are you making?" he asks excitedly as we wait for the elevator.

"I don't know, something quick. What do you suggest?"

"Macaroni and cheese?" he asks hopefully. His whole domineer changes, he goes from sexy and confident to childlike.

"I make a mean Mac-&amp;-Cheese," I tell him as we step into the elevator.

"Hold the door," someone yells before Christian has a chance to respond. Christian holds his hand out between the doors to keep them from closing.

A chubby, middle aged, balding man comes running, I recognize him immediately, he lives across the hall from me; his wife is a stay at home mom with three kids, who never stop yelling.

"Thank you," he says as he pulls out a handkerchief from his pant pocket and wipes the sweat from forehead.

"How are you, Dr. Steele?" he says when he finally notices me.

"Good, thank you. And you?"

"Same old, same old," he responds. His eyes widen when he notices Christian standing beside me.

"Oh my God, you're Christian Grey!" he says then quickly blushes, obviously embarrassed by his sudden outburst.

I turn to see Christian's reaction but his face is politely impassive. "Yes, I am," he responds.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Grey!" He reaches his hand out to shake Christians as the elevator stops.

"Thank you," Christian responds politely, and shakes his hand. The elevator doors open and we get out first. I notice Christian discreetly wipe his hand on his pants, and it takes everything in me not to laugh.

We walk quietly to my door and as we get close I see a huge box sitting to the side of my door. I look up at Christian. "What did you send this time?" I ask, irritated.

He holds his hands up. "I didn't send anything."

Well, if he didn't then who did?

Curiosity flares up as I open the door. Christian picks up the box and carries it into the apartment, setting it down on the floor near the kitchen island.

"I wonder what it is," I think out loud.

"Maybe you should open it," Christian says, taking a seat on one of the stools on the island.

I grab the box cutter and cut the tape of the box and pull it. The first thing I see is navy blue paper with a note taped to it. I grab the note and my stomach drops and bile raised in my throat. I look at the note:

**_Anastasia._**

**_We never got the chance to talk before you walked out on my son. So this my opportunity to let my feelings be heard. Just because a man isn't perfect doesn't mean you can just leave him and bring all that shame and embarrassment to him and our family. You were at fault for the engagement ending, too. Of course he would go to another women when all you did was work, or spend time with that friend of yours. I just wanted to let you know that my Maxwell is happy and expecting a baby with Ashley._**

**_This is your wedding dress, or what would have been your wedding dress. The store refused to keep it, rightfully so, and I wouldn't risk Ashley seeing it. I was going to throw it away but Charles wouldn't let me. So here it is, Amanda liked the shoes so she kept them. It's the least you could do after all you put this family through._**

**_I hope you get everything you deserve,_**

**_Jackie Anderson_**

I crumble the note up and toss it as hard as I can then kick the box away. She always knew the best way to hurt me. Unshed tears start to fill my eyes and I try to blink them away. She always knew exactly what my worst fears were and she wasn't above exploiting them. Thank god I didn't marry Him. I can't imagine living with her as my mother-in-law.

"Are you alright?" Christian's concerned voice pulls me out of dark train of thought.

I rub my eyes and take a deep breath. "I'm fine," I tell him, my voice small. I don't even believe myself.

"Come here," he says in a soft voice and holds out his hand. I walk up to him and take his outstretched hand and he pulls me in so that I'm standing between his legs.

He lets go of my hand his puts his hands on either side of my face and looks into my eyes. His eyes search mine, for what seems like hours. His dark, piercing gray eyes bore into mine and it feels like he's looking into my soul. I suddenly feel exposed, for some reason it feels so intimate.

"I'm going to ask again, and this time be honest. Are you alright?" he asks, his voice intense, filled with concern and another emotion that I can't place. And I break down.

"No! I'm not alright! Every time I'm happy, every time I think I can finally move on, something like this happens. And I can't take it anymore, I can't! I moved across the country, left my family and most of my friends, but he still manages to always come back. I don't know what else to do," I say hopelessly, tears threatening to fall.

He pulls me against his chest and just holds me for what feels like hours. My hands by my side and my head in the crook of his neck. His hypnotic scent assaults my senses and all the tension starts to leave my body and I close my eyes in contentment.

Christian stomach growls and I snap out of my trance, I quickly pull away and wipe my moist eyes with the back of my hand. "I'm sorry! I'm a horrible host. I have the mac and cheese from the box; it's quicker. Or we could order pizza," I suggest apologetically. Food is the last thing on my mind right now.

"The box one is my favorite," he admits reassuringly. "Why don't you go shower and I'll make dinner. Just show me where everything is," he offers getting off the bar stool.

"Oh, no you don't have to do that. I can make it. Are you sure you don't want to order in?"

"Go shower! Mac and cheese is my specialty. It's the only thing that kept me alive through college," he jokes and shoos me away.

"But you don't know where everything is!" I say as he pushes me into my bedroom and closes the door.

"I can figure it out!" he yells through the door. I shake my head and a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips.

Fifty is so sweet, I don't understand why he thinks he's 'fucked up'. He has been nothing but kind and amazing to me all day. A little annoying and infuriating, but sweet none the less. I grab a pair of pink, stripped, silk pajamas and plain, white panties with lace fringe; I decide to forgo putting on a bra. I gather everything up and walk to the bathroom.

I open the door and I'm shocked to see how clean it is. The cleaning crew did an amazing job, it's as if the water fight never happened.

I set my clothes down on the counter and strip off my clothes. I look at the bathtub longingly, _I would love a bath right now, _I think to myself. I decide against it and walk to the glass shower beside the bathtub. I turn on the water and brush my hair while I wait for it to warm.

I walk into the shower and the warm spray of water washes all my fears and stress away. Leaving a calm and relaxed feeling in its place. I stand under the rain shower for ages before I bring myself to move. I make quick work of shampooing my hair, once I rinse off the shampoo I put in some conditioner and wash my body. The scent of strawberry and lavender fills the bathroom and I sigh. This feels so good after a long, exhausting day.

I quickly rinse and get out of the shower, I dry myself then put on lotion. I braid my hair while I wait for the lotion to dry, this way my hair will be nice and wavy in the morning, instead of a frizzy mess. Once the lotion is absorbed I put on my PJ's and walk out of the bathroom.

Once I'm in my room I follow the smell of cheese into the kitchen. I stand by the dining room table and watch Christian. His back is towards me and he's holding a pot, the muscles on his back ripple as he puts the macaroni on each of our plates. My eyes go down his back to his narrow hips to his perfect butt and I bit my lips. He sets the pot back on the stove, grabs both plates and turns to set them down on the counter.

When he turns he notices me, a wide smile spreads across his face and my heartbeat goes up. "It's not polite to stare," he chastises me teasingly.

"I wasn't staring, I just go here," I fire back and walk to the island.

"Do you have any wine?" he asks as I take a seat.

"Yeah, I have a few bottle in the wine cooler. It's right by the refrigerator." I point it out to him. He bends over and looks through my wine selection, giving me time to ogle at his great ass; I have never seen a more attractive butt in my life!

I avert my eyes as he stands and holds up a bottle of Pinot Noir. He grabs regular drinking glasses from a cupboard and sets them down on the island. "I have wine glasses you know," I tell him.

"I'm too hungry to look," he admits with a shrug. Christian strides gracefully around the island and takes a seat on the stool beside me. He reaches over and grabs the wine and pours some into both our glasses.

I grab my glass and hold it up to him. "To box mac-and-cheese and wine!" I toast.

"Cheers." He clinks his glass with mine a brilliant smile lighting up his face.

I look down at my plate and my stomach growls. I pick up my fork and dig in, the macaroni burns my mouth but I'm too hungry to care. "If the business thing doesn't work out, you should become a chef," I tell him.

"I don't think anyone would hire me. This is the only thing I can cook and I think you are the only person to taste it, apart from me. Actually you are the only person I have ever cooked for," his voice goes quite at the end, like he's saying it more to himself than to me.

"Another first, Mr. Grey," I tell him, looking up at him through my lashes.

"I guess so," he says distractedly. I turn back to my plate, occasionally look up at him. He seems lost in thought, absentmindedly staring out the window.

When I finish I push my plate away and turn to him. "That was delicious, thank you," I tell him, giving him a wide smile.

That seems to snap him out of his thoughts and he returns me smile. "My pleasure."

He gets off the stool and reaches for my plate, I swat him away. "You cooked, I'll clean up," I tell him.

"If I help you we'll finish faster," he insists.

"Okay." I give in, too tired to fight him. Together we clear up all the dirty dishes and fill the dishwasher. It feels so natural doing this with him; it's as if we have known each other for years and spend every day together. We casually bump into each other and each time the electric current rushes through my body; I've never felt like this before.

We finish cleaning up, walk over to the living room and sit on the couch. "Are you staying?" I ask him, breaking the silence.

"I don't want to intrude, you have work tomorrow and so do I," he says.

A sharp sting of disappointment rushes through me. "Oh, you wouldn't be intruding. You can just sleep here and call Taylor to pick you up in the morning," I tell him, desperately trying not to sound desperate.

"Do you want me to stay?" His gray eyes bore into mine and I can't help but melt a little on the inside.

"Yes," I whisper softly, a blush heats my cheeks.

"Okay, I'll stay," he says, a shy smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, it's getting late and I have to get up at 4am tomorrow so I think we should go to bed," I say.

"Okay." He jumps off the couch and stand up before me, his hands outstretched. I grab his hands and he pulls me up and pulls me against his chest. He holds my hands behind my back with one of his huge hands while the other one moves under my chin.

He tilts my head up and my lips instinctively part. "What are you doing to me?" he breaths, his breath fans out across my face and my eyes bore into his, and I get lost in a deep sea of gray.

"I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Grey," I sigh. The hand that was under my chin moves to the nap of my neck and pulls my head towards his, crashing our lips together.

The kiss is short but intense and my head is swimming when he pulls away, a cocky smile on his flawless face. "Come on, bedtime," he says and let's go of one of my hands. We walk hand in hand into my bedroom.

"I have to shower," he says as we stand in the middle of the room.

"Do you need PJ's?"

"No, I had Taylor bring me some," he says, the grin on his face gets wider.

"So you just assumed you were staying?" I ask halfheartedly offended.

"I was hoping. That's different," he clarifies, grabs his bag and gives me a wink before he walks into the bathroom. I look at his retreating figure and shake my head.

I quickly strip out of my PJ's and put on a tank top, I can never sleep with pants on, especially silk pants. Once I'm dressed I go over to the kitchen where my bag is and grab my phone. I set my alarm as I walk back into my room.

I throw the decorative pillows on the ground and turn off all the lights except for the lamp beside my bed. I crawl into bed and get comfortable, the second my head hits the pillow all the exhaustion and lack of sleep catch up to me and my eyes flutter shut.

I'm startled awake when my bed shifts. "Shh… go back to sleep, baby. It's just me," Christian's deep voice sooths me. I feel my pillow dip as he puts his head on it, I want to tell him that there are other pillows but I'm too tired to speak. He wraps both his arms around me and pulls me closer to him, he reaches one of his hands over and holds mine. He kisses the back of my head and whispers, "goodnight."

I snuggle back into him, feeling comfortable and completely safe for the first time in months, a content smile plays at my lips, and I fall asleep in his arms.

**So? What did you all think? It was a sweet chapter that gave a little insight into Ana's past, since I know you guys are dying to know what the hell happened. Next Chapter will be the rest of the week and the beginning of their weekend together. Please fav, follow, review and check out the Pinterest board (Link in bio)! See you in two weeks! **

-Lily


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi everyone! I know it's not Friday, I'm so so so sorry for missing my usual update date, but its midterm week here at Brown so I have been too busy studying. But don't worry I'm back and better than ever, this chapter is well over 5 thousand words and it has a lot of cute moments. To make up for it I also put in an extra-long CPOV!**

**I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed. Thank you so much for your concern Sina, I really appreciate it. I also appreciate everyone checking out the Pinterest page, I put a lot of time into finding the right pictures and I'm so happy you all enjoy it. Please enjoy this next chapter, review, I love hearing what you guys think, follow, favorite and check out the Pinterest page, the link is in my bio.**

**-Lily**

I force my eyes open and quickly get blinded by the bright light of my iPhone. I groan and try to sit up but something heavy is pressed against my chest, holding me down. I turn, look down and see a large, muscular arm draped across my chest. _Oh Fifty! _I suddenly realize. He stayed the night. I look over and see the outline of his perfect profile and my heart rate speeds up.

I reach for my phone and turn off the alarm. I slide out from under his arm, careful not to wake him, and get off the bed. He stirs and his arm reaches over to where I was laying, he feels around the mattress and his eyes blink open.

He looks around, confused, when his eyes meet mine a dazzling smile spreads across his lips. "Are you going to work?" he asks, his voice low and lazy.

"Yup, go back to sleep it's only 3:30," I tell him as I walk to my dresser and grab some underwear.

He stifles a yawn. "Is there nothing I can do to make you come back to bed?"

"Well, if you want all that money that you donated to go to waste, I'll gladly get back in bed," I tell him as I walk to the bathroom.

"Wait! Come here!" He reaches out his hand.

I walk up to him and take his outreached hand. "What?" I ask.

He grabs my wrist and pulls me onto the bed, so that I'm half laying on the bed. He sits up on his elbow and tangles one of his hands in my hair pulling me closer. He sweetly presses his lips against mine and before I have time to react he pulls away. "Have a nice day at work, I'll see you Friday night. Oh and tell Anthony I said 'hi'," he says as he lets me go.

I stand back up on my feet, it takes a few minutes for my head to stop spinning after the kiss. I walk into my closet, musing about Christian's light mood, I pick a gray plaid dress, a maroon camisole and a black belt. I will mostly be doing rounds, consulting with a few new patients and if I get lucky I'll have some time to work on my research.

I walk around my closet gathering up scrubs, a few scrub caps, sneakers and a few changes of underwear, which should be enough to last until Wednesday morning. I put everything in my overnight bag and walk back into my room.

I find Christian fast asleep, sprawled out on the bed, one arm above his head and another across his stomach. I shake my head and smile then walk to the bathroom. I take a quick shower making sure I don't wet my hair.

Once I'm out of the shower I dry myself and apply my lotion. As I wait for the lotion to dry I focus my attention on my hair, if you can call it that. A mane of brown curls stick out in every direction. I take a brush and try to tame it, but to no avail. I decide to put in a low, messy ponytail, _there, now I look halfway decent, _I think as I look at my hair in the mirror. I put on some lip gloss and mascara and call it a day.

I quickly put on a pink lace bra and pantie set then my dress. I make sure that the camisole falls perfectly around my waist then tie the belt around it. Quietly walk back into my closet and grab flesh colored Louboutins, with three inch heels, they are cute and comfortable to walk in. I carry them out of the closet, grab my bag and quietly leave my room.

I walk down the hallway to the kitchen and set all my things down and put in a pot of coffee. While the coffee brews I walk to my office and grab my charts, notes, paperwork and my laptop.

I walk back into the kitchen and pout the coffee into my portable coffee mug and grab an apple. I don't like to eat this early in the morning but I need something to wake me up. I go into the cupboard and grab cereal, a bowl and a spoon and leave it out for Christian. I walk over to my office again and grab a sticky note. I quickly write a little note for Christian, stick it on the cereal box and head out.

I carry my overnight bag, the bag holding my paperwork, my laptop carrier and my shoes and walk out the door. I struggle a little to open the door, almost dropping my coffee. Once I make it out the door I put on my shoes. High heels and hardwood floors do not equal quiet.

The halls are quiet and deserted, what else can you expect at 4:30 in the morning. I wait for the elevator, taking a tentative sip of the scolding coffee, it burns my tongue but feels so good going down my throat. Once the doors open is step inside I press the garage button. As the doors close I can't help but think of all that happened this past weekend, all which happened in this elevator, a blush creeps onto my cheeks as I think of Christian's lips pressed against mine.

Who would have thought, the cocky asshole I met two weeks ago would turn into a sweet, funny, kind of annoying and domineering guy. There is so much about him that I still don't know- my mind flashes to the scares on his chest and back and his quick dismissal when I asked about them. Someone hurt him, and it obviously still has an effect on him. He has opened up a little, he's funny and charming, and I'm sure that not many people get to see that side of him.

There is so much I still want to know about him, though, like what he is going to show me this weekend. A mix of anxiety and anticipation flare up in the pit of my stomach. If I'm spending all weekend there he probably expects to have sex. The though is both nerve racking and arousing, he brings out feelings in me that He could never even come close to.

I want to sleep with him, I want to give him all of me; I've been protecting myself for years and I still got my heart broken. I want to be different with Christian, I want to let myself go, open myself up to new experiences. So what if I get hurt? So what if it doesn't work out?I'm tired of playing it safe and something about Christian makes me want to go all the way, finally jump off the deep end.

As the elevator doors open a smile spreads across my face. I'll finally take some chances, I'm obviously much stronger than I give myself credit for.

**CPOV**

I open my eyes only to close them again. The sun streams through the windows and bathes the whole room in blinding white light. That never happens in Escala, everything seems brighter and happier here. Maybe it's her, a smile tugs at my lips when I think of the gorgeous Dr. Anastasia Steele, and even her name is sexy.

I roll over so that my face is resting on her pillow and breathe in her intoxicating scent. She smells of strawberries and jasmine, the scent goes straight to my cock. _Whoa! Down boy!_ Just the tough of her turns me on, how pathetic.

I lay down in bed, my head on her pillow and look around the room. It's very her, warm, cute, and fun. The walls are gray and there are paintings and pictures of all different shapes and sizes hung artfully around the wall. The large floor to ceiling windows are open, blowing the pale gray curtains in every direction. A white chair with navy blue accents sits in the corner with a hexagon ottoman at the foot, vintage Fornasetti plates are displayed between the two windows right about the chair. Another round ottoman sits at the foot of the bed. I notice a framed Hermès scarf hanging above the bed. Two antique laps hang over the dark blue headboard and a large chandelier hangs in the center of the room

I lay my head back on the pillow, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. I have not been this relaxed in- well, I have never been this relaxed. She is different than any girl I have ever met, she is completely different than any of my past subs; and usually that would be a deal breaker but with her it's attractive.

When she puts her little hands on her hips, raises that eyebrow, and purses her full lips, I don't know whether to laugh or grab her and never let her go. _There we go again with that bullshit, Grey!_ My subconscious snares. _She likes you know, because she thinks you are normal, but when you show her your playroom, where you beat all those girls before her, she'll run away screaming. _

The dark unwelcome thoughts pop into my head. _What if I don't show her the playroom?_ I think to myself. Then she won't run away and I'll still be the guy that makes her laugh, the one that makes max-and-cheese and goes to Toys-R-Us.

_But you're not that guy!_ My subconscious snaps, put off by my train of thought.

I am to her, with her I can be that guy. So why not? I don't have to show her the playroom and it can be like this weekend, I won't have to change in her eyes and maybe the nightmares will go away for good. It has been two nights since I have had a nightmare, I always have nightmares. With her I just sleep and dream about her crystal blue eyes and her sweet laugh.

_Are you fucking kidding me? One weekend with this girl you don't even know and you are going to change your whole life? What about when you get the urge to beat her? How about when she rolls her eyes? Then what? Don't be stupid! BDSM is all you know, you're good at it, it's easy, and you won't get hurt! What if she decides one day that she doesn't want you anymore? What if she decides to end it when you are already in love with her? Can you handle one more person leaving? _My subconscious screams.

The though is like cold water all over my plans. Who am I kidding, I'm not a hearts and flowers guy, that takes a heart and mine was destroyed a long time ago in a dirty, cold, Detroit apartment.

I will show Ana the playroom this weekend, as planned, and if she can't handle it or doesn't agree to the contract then that's it. I'll say goodbye and she can move on with her life. Bile rises in my throat and my drops.

_Now you are think rationally. As Elena would say, "love is for fools," _my subconscious says triumphantly.

The good mood from a few minutes ago seems to have gone out the window. I walk out of the bedroom and down the hall, I find my overnight bag on the floor near the couch, and my suit hanging over the back of one of the chairs. I take out clean underwear, walk back into the room and head towards the bathroom.

The second I open the door I'm assaulted with the smell of jasmine, a smile tugs at me lips but my thoughts from earlier are still swimming around in my head and the smile quickly turns to a frown. I hang the suit on the hanger behind the door and set my underwear down on the counter, where I see a bottle of body wash with a pink sticky note on it:

_**For the off chance that you may want to smell like a man today**_

I look down at the bottle and see that it says 'unscented' and my mood lightens a little. I put the sticky note on top of my clothes, so I don't forget it then take a quick shower, using the unscented body wash. Once I'm done I get dressed and head out to the kitchen and grab my phone.

"Mr. Grey?" Taylor answers on the second ring.

"Pick me up in 10," I tell him.

"Sir," he says then hangs up. This is what I like about Taylor, no need for small talk. I turn to get my stuff set up when something catches my attention.

I walk up the island where a white bowl, a spoon, and the box of Reese's cereal stand. They cereal has the same pink sticky note as the body wash:

**_I thought you might like some disgusting, soggy cereal for breakfast_**

A chuckle escapes my lips, even when she is not here she still manages to put me in a better mood. I grab milk from the fridge and make myself a bowl of cereal, I get all my things situated as I wait for the cereal to get soggy. Just as I sit down to eat my phone rings.

"Grey." I answer not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"I'm here, Sir," Taylor informs me.

I sigh and hang up; I really wanted some cereal_. You know what? Fuck it! _I think to myself. I throw my messenger bag over my shoulder, throw my phone and wallet into my pockets and grab the bowl.

With a final glance at the apartment I walk out the door. The hallway is empty so it's a quiet walk to the elevator. Just as the elevator doors open and I step in a women in her mid-thirties rushes out of one of the apartments holding a little girls hand.

"Hold the door!" She yells out frantically. She picks up the little girl and blots into the elevator, nearly causing me to drop the bowl in the process.

Once she's in the elevator I let the doors slide shut and move to the corner. The women is shamelessly staring at me. _It's just a pretty face, baby_, I think to myself. I give the women an annoyed look and she quickly looks away.

The little girl spends the whole elevator ride talking about her new pink shoes. It takes everything in me not to jump out of the elevator. I don't know how people have the patients to handle children. I have never been a big fan of kids, loud, dirty, and annoying. Anthony is the exception; he is adorable. Watching his little eyes widen every time I took out a new toy, or how he makes Ana smile. I can't wait for Ana and I to go play with him again.

I rush out of the elevator the second the doors open, careful not to spill any of my cereal. I quickly walk out of the lobby, receiving strange looks from everyone I pass. Once I get outside I see the black Audi Q5 waiting right outside the building. As soon as I walk out Taylor jumps out of the car and opens my door.

"Taylor." I nod as I slide into the car.

"Mr. Grey," he responds, eyeing the white bowl in my hand.

"You arrived before I could eat," I explain with a shrug. A small smile comes across his face but he quickly composes himself and shuts the door. I spend most of the ride to GEH trying not to spill the cereal all over my suit, which is not an easy task.

Once Taylor pulls up in front of Grey House I slide out of the car, leaving my messenger bag and the now empty bowl in the back seat. Taylor can have it washed and brought back to Anastasia's. Just the thought of her name makes me smile.

I notice a few people giving me strange looks as I walk through the lobby and into the elevator; I hate when people stare.

The elevator is crowded when I step in. People push to the back and all the small talk stops, a chorus of, "Good morning, Mr. Grey," meets me as the doors close.

"Good morning," I respond. I take out my Blackberry, making it clear that I'm not in the mood for sucking up.

As I look down at my home screen I notice a little notification icon over the Instagram app. Curiously I press the app and I'm taken to a white screen with my history on it.

** .stasia26: ****mentioned you in a comment**

I click on the rectangle and it takes me to Ana's profile, where I see a picture of me from a spread I did for Times. I look down at the comment under the picture, completely shocked:

**I thought I'd switch it up a little, sorry Nick35, but in honor of my newest follower, my super-hot #MCM CEO of GreyEnterprisesHoldings. Your welcome, ladies.**

A full blown grin spreads across my face, I normally would be furious with this, but with Ana I'm flattered. I look up just as the elevator arrives at the executive floor, once the doors open I rush to my office.

"Good morning, Mr. Grey," Andrea says.

"Good morning, Andrea. Get me Dr. Anastasia Steele on the phone," I tell her as I walk into my office.

**APOV**

I walk out to the waiting area where I see Mrs. Wilson and her son sitting. She has her head on his shoulder and I can tell by the movement of her shoulders that she's crying.

Her son stands suddenly, having spotted me; Mrs. Wilson stands, startled then a look of understanding crosses her face when she sees me. Both their eyes are glued to my every move, the second I get within hearing range Mrs. Wilson speaks. "How is he? How did the surgery go?" she asks breathlessly.

"We had a few complications, but he is stable. The blood clot was in a very dangerous area and to be honest the chances of him walking again are slim. But he is alive, stable and alive," I emphasize.

"He can't walk?" she whispers, more to herself than to me, tears start streaming down her face. "Oh God, my baby! He's only 20!" she repeats over and over again, hysterical.

"Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Wilson!" I yell trying to break through to her. She finally looks up at me.

"Your son is alive! He has a chance to have a full, happy life. I'm not saying that he will never walk again, I'm just saying the chances aren't great, but people have done it with worst odds, and your son is a fighter. I truly believe that. We have great physical therapy programs and we will make sure that he gets every chance to succeed. Now don't focus on that, focus on the fact that you will be able to hold your son today," I tell her softly, trying to reassure her.

"See, Mom, he has a chance," her son finally speaks up. Her son's words seem to snap her out of her trance and she finally smiles, a wide, happy smile.

"Oh, thank you so much, Dr. Steele! You saved my son!" She pulls me into a bone crushing hug.

"You're welcome, Mrs. Wilson! I'm just doing my job," I tell her, rubbing her back as she cries on my shoulder.

Her son peels her off me and pulls her into a hug. He gives me grateful smile and reaches his hand out to shake mine. "Thank you, Doctor."

"No problem, I will have someone come and get you when your brother is back in his room," I let him know then turn around.

I walk back to the nurse's station, rubbing my eyes. This is the part of the job I hate; I hate telling parents or spouses that their loved ones are not the same anymore. I take a deep breath, calming myself, it won't do me any good to worry. I can't get emotionally attached to patients. I grab the chart and look down at it, my eyes are blurry with sleep; I've been up since 3:30 and I've been on the go since then. I thought I would get time to do research, but an emergency case came in the second I got out of Anthony's room this morning.

I grab the chart and walk to my office, I need to sit down. Just as I open the door to my office the phone starts ringing. _Oh God! What now!_ I think as I rush to grab the phone.

"Dr. Steele," I answer.

"Hello, Dr. Steele, its Andrea, Mr. Grey's from Grey Enterprises Holdings, please hold," she tells me efficiently.

I roll my eyes and sit down on the chair behind my desk, putting my feet on the desk and grab the chart. Just as I go to grab my pen the hold music stops.

"Super-hot, eh?" Christian's deep, amused voice comes through the speaker.

"You saw it?" I grab a pen and lean back against my chair and start filling out the patient information.

"I saw it when I was coming up the elevator; I was very flattered, thank you. But I think you gave some of my employees the shock of their lives." He laughs.

"Is that so?"

"I don't think any of them have ever seen me smile, let alone laugh, and I've had a stupid grin on my face all morning," he confesses, his voice changing slighting when he says the last part, lowering in tone becoming almost secretive, like he doesn't want anyone to know.

"Do I have anything to do with that?" I ask sweetly.

"You have everything to do with it," he responds, the intensity of his voice catches me off guard. I don't know how to respond so I decide to lighten the mood.

"Well, Mr. Grey, it's a proven fact, doctors say that everyone needs a little Ana in their life," I joke.

"Really? Prey tell, which doctors are saying this?"

"I'm a doctor and I just said it."

"I think I'd like a second opinion," he responds, the humor in his voice evident. "So back to my original question. You think I'm super sexy?"

"I said super-hot. And don't flatter yourself it's just a fact. The sky is blue, the world is round and you are handsome," I respond nonchalantly.

"You really know how to build up some one's self confidence," he says sullenly.

"I think you are confident enough, Christian, you need someone to knock you off your high horse," I scold him.

"I love when you say my name." He sighs, the sexual undertone of his voice throws me off for a second, but I decide to play along.

"Christian," I say slowly, enunciating every syllable.

He half groan, half moan and the sound sends shivers up my spine and every muscle south of my waist clenches. "What are you doing?" he asks his tone low and husky.

"I'm in my office, talking to you," I state sarcastically.

"What are you wearing?"

I laugh. "I am a lady, Mr. Grey. I didn't peg you as a phone sex type of guy. And isn't there something you are supposed to be doing? A meeting or plans of world domination that you need to take care of?"

"First, I'm not a phone sex type of guy, usually, but I'll take anything I can get with you. Second, my meeting starts in 10 minutes. Finally, I can't start my plans of world domination just yet, I haven't figured out which evil laugh I want to use," he responds jokingly.

"Wow, you are in a good mood today," I say, shocked.

"I'm not used to this," he confesses.

"Really? Apart from the first time I met you, you've been pretty happy. For the most part." I think back to after the shower fight and his sudden dark mood when I pointed out the scares on his chest and back.

"I think it's just you how brings out that side of me. You've bewitched me, Anastasia." His low, intense voice comes through the speaker and my heart skips a beat.

"I think it's the other way around," I tell him truthfully, and bite my lower lip. We sit in silence for a few seconds.

"I know you're biting your lip," he says after a few seconds.

"How?"

"Every time you even mildly open up about something or you are uncomfortable in any way you bite your lip. You also do it when you're flirting," he explains.

How does he know all this? I have spent all of two days with this man and he has already picked up things about me that I didn't even know. I suddenly feel naked, if he already picked this up how long will it take him to figure out other things about me? Things that I don't want him to ever know.

"You are quite the observer, Mr. Grey," I tell him, trying to distract myself from my thoughts.

He laughs. "Why thank you. I know this cute restaurant in Portland that you would love. How do you feel about going there for dinner Friday night?" He asks.

"Is what you want to show me in Portland?"

"Ever so eager. No, it is not, I want to enjoy your company a bit more before I lay all my cards down on the table."

"Don't you think that that's a little selfish? Making me like you then throw some shocking piece of information at me."

"I know it's selfish. I'm a selfish man, Dr. Steele. I'm just hoping that you will like me enough to stay after I show you," he says, his voice grows sad.

"You need to have a little faith in me. I'm stronger than I look." I defend myself.

"You are a kitten who thinks they're a lioness," he says laughing.

"Bullshit! I am a lioness!" I yell into the speaker. I hear Christian talking to someone on the other side.

After a few seconds I hear him sigh. "I have to go," he says sadly.

"Oh, okay, have a great day. Be nice to people!" I tell him.

"I'll try. I'll call you later, have a great rest of the day, Kitten." He hangs up.

_Oh Fifty, what am I going to do with you_, I think as I stare down at the phone.

I shake my head, trying to get rid of all thoughts relating to Christian Grey and go back to work. By the time I finish up the chart and the report on the surgery its 11 O'clock. I decide to go check on Joe Wilson. Walking out of my office I notice a few nurses standing by the nurses' station giggling over a huge bouquet of roses, pink lilac, peonies, tulips, and soft ranunculus all in different shades of pink, purple and white, in an elaborate glass vase. The bouquet is breathtaking and curiously takes over me as I walk towards the nurses that are huddled up around it.

"Oh wow, who is this for?" I ask when I get close enough.

They all turn and stare at me, an expression of shock and jealousy etched on each of their faces.

"It's for you," one of them says bitterly.

I stare at them dumfounded. "Really?"

"Yeah, the guy just delivered it, saying that it was for you. I was going to bring it to your office," one of the nurses tells me. I walk closer to the counter where the vase sits and examine it.

"Who is it from?" I ask.

"We don't know, the guy didn't say. But there's a card right there, that should tell you," she says disinterested.

What the hell is wrong with all the nurses in this hospital? I loved the ones in New York but it's like someone pissed in their Cheerio's. "Well isn't there something you all should be doing. Jenny I asked you for the lab workup for Jerry McAndrew's two hours ago and I still don't have it. And I know for a fact that Dr. Bailey asked for at least one of you to be with the Wilson's," I snap. They all stare at me in disbelieve, but I stare back impassively and they all scurry away.

I hate being a bitch but I will not tolerate being disrespected. I know I'm new here but I have been nothing but kind to them and they should show me some respect. I sigh and turn my attention back to the flowers.

I notice the small white card on the side and I quickly grab it. I open the envelope carefully and pull out the small white piece of expensive paper inside. Written in elegant script is:

_Thank you for an unforgettable weekend._

_ CG_

I reread the card over and over, six little words that cause a huge smile to appear on my face. All the stress of the day vanishes, all the paralyzed teenagers, bitch nurses, undone research seems to disappear.

I reach into my lab coat and fish out my phone. I unlock the screen only to see and email notification, I press it and to my surprise it's from Christian.

**From: **Christian Grey

**Subject: **I have a confession…

**Date: **October 8, 2014 08:34

**To: **Anastasia Steele

Dear Dr. Steele,

I may have stolen one of your bowls this morning

Christian Grey

CEO &amp; thief, Grey Enterprises Holding, Inc.

I look down at the email confused.

**From: **Anastasia Steele

**Subject: **Confession doesn't equal apology

**Date: **October 8, 2014 11:53

**To: **Christian Grey

Confessing doesn't mean you are forgiven; I loved that bowl.

P.S Thank you for the flowers

Dr. Anastasia Steele, M.D

Neurosurgery Department

His response is immediate, which makes me smile.

**From: **Christian Grey

**Subject: **Apologize?!

**Date: **October 8, 2014 11:55

**To: **Anastasia Steele

In case you forgot, I don't apologize. I was merely

Stating a fact. I'm glad you liked the flowers, I wasn't sure

Which were your favorite so I just got a bit of each.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holding, Inc.

**From: **Anastasia Steele

**Subject: **Flowers

**Date: **October 8, 2014 12:00

**To: **Christian Grey

I didn't think you were a flowers type of guy, to be honest.

Dr. Anastasia Steele, M.D &amp; Curious

Neurosurgery Department

**From: **Christian Grey

**Subject: **Exceptions

**Date: **October 8, 2014 12:01

**To: **Anastasia Steele

I don't normally do hearts and flowers but I've made an exception for you.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holding, Inc.

I take a deep breath before typing out my response. I don't know how he's going to respond to this. My hands shake as I type, I take a deep breath and put my hand over the 'send' button.

**From: **Anastasia Steele

**Subject: **Flowers and…

**Date: **October 8, 2014 12:00

**To: **Christian Grey

Does the exception only go for the flowers part or are you making

an exception with the hearts as well?

Dr. Anastasia Steele, M.D &amp; Curious

Neurosurgery Department

_Here goes nothing, _I think as I hit send.

**I know! It's a cliff hanger, but I have to keep you guys interested somehow. Please let me know what you think, especially about CPOV, I'm still not 100% comfortable with it yet. If you just have any suggestions please PM me, I love reading them. Other than that please review, favorite, follow and look at Pinterest, I added new picture that you guys will love! See you all in a week!**

**-Lily**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everyone! I'm sorry! I'm horrible, I know, but thank you all for putting up with me. I had the chapter done last week but I hated it. It wasn't were I wanted to take my story so I rewrote the whole thing, over eight thousand words. I love this chapter, and as I promised it will get us to a big reveal, but it may not be the reveal that all of you are expecting. I can't apologize enough for the super late update, I want you all to know that I would never give up on this story, I love this story and all of you who read and review. I will try my best to update as regularly as I can and I will keep the every other Friday update date and things are going to slow down after I send out all my applications. **

**I got a few of the same questions over and over again on my PM's and I got tired of answering the same thing. I don't know why so many of you want to know if Nick is my boyfriend in real life, but to curb your curiosity, he is not. The real Nick, who inspired the character, is my best friend. The conversations Nick and Ana have are the same that Nick and I have. I feel like every girl needs her Nick so I just stuck him in the story and he loves that so many of you like the character. Hopefully that clears up some of the questions. And about Grace finding out, I have a funny plan in mind, you just wait and see. **

**So hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter, it was a long time coming, and we get to see a little of Dr. Anastasia Steele and a little fun with Nick, and of course Christian makes an appearance. I have updated the Pinterest board, hopfully you all like it! Please enjoy, review, fav and follow and don't forget to look at the Pinterest board, the link on my bio!**

**-Lily**

The second I hit send my stomach drops. _Shit! Why did I just do that?!_ I think to myself. I stare down at my phone for what feels like hours, and nothing. I take a deep breath, _it's only been five minutes, and he's probably in a meeting_, I tell myself; but try as I may I can't help the feeling of disappointment that takes over me.

Before I can allow myself to wallow in my self-pity, Dr. Ashland, the intern on my service today, comes to inform me that Mr. Wilson is starting to wake up.

"Thank you, Dr. Ashland. I'll go over there right now. Can you put the flowers on my desk then join me?" I ask him.

"Of course, Dr. Steele," he quickly replies. I love having Ashland on my service, he is serious and to the point.

I rush to the Mr. Wilson's room; I want to get there before he wakes up. Once I reach the room I see one of the nurses, Ashly, on her phone. She stops when she sees me and gives me a wary, apologetic glance.

"Ashly, can you get some ice chips?" I ask her.

She nods, then quickly leaves the room. I turn my attention back to Kevin Wilson who is just starting to wake up. He opens his eyes then looks around disoriented. I walk up to his bed and pull out my small flash light.

"Hello, Mr. Wilson, can you tell me your name?" I ask.

He turns his attention back to me and stares at me for a few minutes. I hold my breath in anticipation. "Kevin, my name is Kevin," he tells me, his voice weak and groggy.

I let out a breath of relief. "Do you know where you are, Kevin?" I ask.

He looks around. "The hospital?" he asks, unsure.

"Good," I praise him. "Look here," I tell him. I go through my usual post operation patient check list, I check all his vitals and his pupils and everything seems great. In the middle of my checkup Ashly returns with the ice chips and feeds them to Kevin. After a few minutes she leaves.

"How did I get here?" he asks as I move to the foot of the bed to check if he has any feeling in his feet and legs.

"Well, you had a stroke," I inform him.

"A stroke?! But that only happens to old people!" he says in disbelief.

"Usually, but a huge blood clot went through your heart and directly into your brain. Thankfully it didn't tear any arteries in the heart," I tell him.

His eyes glaze over, deep in thought. I take out a pen shaped tool from my pocket that sends out small electric shocks and press it against his foot. I look down and wait for his toes to twitch but nothing. _Shit!_ I think. I press it against his foot again, this time sending a slightly higher voltage, again no response. I try the other foot, but it's the same thing.

"Is everything okay?" he asks, concern evident in his voice.

I force a smile on my face. "Can you wiggle your toes for me?" I ask him.

"Sure," he responds, I see his face contort in concentration, I look down at his feet, nothing. "How is that?" he asks.

"Can you wiggle them harder?" I ask. I see him try again, but still no response. "I will be right back, just relax and if you need anything just press the call button and one of the nurses will be here," I tell him. I walk out of the room and immediately page Dr. Bailey.

Less than three minutes later Dr. Margret Bailey appears around the corner. She is amazing; she's in her early fifty's but she looks ten years younger. She is thin and blond, her hair is always pulled up into a high ponytail. Her kind green eyes are the first think anyone notices about her, that and her laugh lines. She is sweet, kind, and an amazing teacher and friend. After her third divorce she swore off men for good and she really helped me deal with the fall out of my engagement when I first got here.

She sees my face and immediately a frown appears on her face, she knows what I am about to say before I even say it. "It's what we were afraid of, isn't it?" she asks.

I nod sadly. "No feeling at all, in both feet and calves. I didn't try the calves because I didn't want to scare him," I informed her.

"Good thinking. So what do you suggest we do now?" she asks.

"Well, I think we should run an MRI and PET scan to see if there is any bleeding or swelling. If they come back negative then we inform the family and start physical therapy. If it shows that there is swelling or bleeding then we go back and fix it and hopefully it brings back feeling to his legs. If it ends up that he is paralyzed then all we can do is recommend support groups." I tell her.

She gives me a proud smile. "It seems like you have this under control. This is your case, you're the lead doctor on this and you seem to be doing fantastic. Let me know what the test results show. By the way, I say Dr. Ashland carrying flowers into your office. He told me you asked him to put them there. Where did they come from?" She asks, nudging me on the shoulder, a wide smile on her face.

Before I can answer Grace comes out of the room next to Kevin Wilson's and walks over to us. She looks between me and Margret. "What's going on?" she asks.

"Nothing!" I say.

"Ana got flowers from a secret admirer," Margret tells her.

"Oh, darling that's great! Do you know who it is?" Grace asks.

"I thought you wanted to set her up with one of your boys, Grace. Why would you be happy about the secret admirer?" Margret asks. Grace gives her a dirty look.

"Wait, what?" I ask, this is the first I've heard of this.

"Margret, you and your big mouth! I love you so much, Ana, I would love for you to be part of my family, you can't be mad at me for wanting my boys to end up with someone like you," she says sweetly. I roll my eyes but laugh, who can get angry at Grace.

"I don't think I'm Elliot's type," I tell her.

"You can go for the other one. He's so sexy, if only I was 20 years younger," Margret says dreamily.

Grace slaps the back of Margret's head and we all break out laughing. "I'm going to lunch, do you ladies want to come?" Grace asks.

"I have to run a few tests and finish my paperwork. Next time," I tell her.

"Sure," Dr. Bailey agrees. "Who else is going?" she asks.

"I'm meeting Elena Lincoln," Grace informs her.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I'm going to wait for Ana to go to lunch; I don't want her to be alone," Margret says, her face scrunches up in distaste.

"Oh, come on. Please," Grace begs.

"I'm not going to go to lunch with that women. I don't know how you are friends with her, Grace," Margret says.

"Why do you dislike her so much?" I ask. I've never heard Margret talk badly about anyone before.

"I have my reasons. I will see you later, Ana. Have fun at lunch, Grace." She gives me a look that says that she will tell me more later, then walks away.

Grace sighs and shakes her head. "To this day she still won't tell me why she hates Elena so much. I have known Margret for 10 years and she always tells me everything."

"I'm sure she has her reasons," I tell Grace.

"You are right, dear, I shouldn't force her. God knows Elena is capable of doing some questionable things," she tells me.

"Just go enjoy your lunch and I will see you later," I tell her.

She takes a deep breath. "Yes, I should go. Are you coming to dinner this weekend?" she asks me as she starts to walk away.

My thoughts flash to my impending weekend with Christian and butterflies appear in my stomach. "I can't make it this Sunday. I have plans," I tell her, desperately trying to keep my voice even.

She raises and eyebrow. "Oh? Do these plans involve the flower man?" she asks.

"Have a nice lunch, Grace!" I tell her, avoiding her question. She shakes her head, laughs and walks away.

I watch her retreating figure and smile. Grace is like a second mother to me and I don't think I would have made it through the move without her. The second I met Grace I knew that she and I would be close. My thoughts drift to my parents, I haven't spoken to them since Friday; this is the longest we have gone without speaking. I make a mental note to call them today.

I call down to the MRI technician and set up an emergency MRI; I have to know if there is anything we can do to help with the paralysis.

The rest of my shift flies by, surgery after surgery, patient after patient; unfortunately I barely had any time to do research, which is starting to get extremely frustrating. After visiting Anthony for a few hours Wednesday morning I head home. I haven't heard from Christian since Monday, which would bother me if he didn't send flowers Tuesday morning as well. I was smiling all day.

I walk to my car carrying my overnight bag. I open the back door and throw the bag into the back seat. Closing the car door I walk around to the driver's side and slide in, I take a swing of my coffee, hoping it will be enough to keep me awake for the drive home. I have slept about 2 hours since Monday and I am exhausted. As I pull out of the hospital parking lot I dial Nick's number on the hands free system in the car.

"Hey!" Nick's deep, cheerful voice comes blaring out of the speakers after two rings.

"Hi," I answer, a little less enthusiastically.

"What's up? Did you just get out of work?"

"Yeah, I'm a little mad at you. You haven't texted me all week!" I scold him. Nick usually texts or calls at least once a day.

"I did! You never answered me and your phone went straight to voicemail!" he yells defending himself.

"Oh…," I respond sheepishly.

"Yeah, oh! Why wasn't I your man crush Monday this week? I'm your man crush Monday every week. You wound me!"

"You are my man crush every day, no one else will take your place." I laugh.

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"Me? Sarcastic? Never."

"Ha-ha," he says annoyed.

"Good game last night, Mr. Goalie of the Year. But what the hell did I tell you about getting into fights? One of the interns showed me the fight. Come on, Nick! You can't do shit like that!" I scold him. I hate when Nick gets into fights on the ice. I went to one of his games last year and the fight was so bad he literally spit out one of his teeth, since then I cringe at the thought of him being in a fight.

He sighs. "I knew you would yell at me. I can't help in, Annie, I'm a hockey player, we fight, that's what we do. If someone hits one of my teammates I have to stick up for them. The fucking Kings are vicious, but I'm perfectly fine, really. I can't say the same for their goalie though. But we won, so it's all good," he says trying to reassure me.

"Are you sure you're okay? You really took a punch; did they check you for a concussion? Or a hemorrhage?" I ask frantically.

"Babe, I'm all good, I was checked for everything. I don't think Dr. Scott will risk you yelling at him again." He laughs.

His laugh is so contagious that I forget about my worry and join in.

"I'm going on Seth Mayer's new show tonight," he tells me once we catch our laughter subsides.

"Really? I love him, SNL isn't the same without him. Why are you going?"

"Well, you know the Calvin Kline sports line that I was forced to indorse? They now want me to do talk shows and shit to promote it. Bad enough that there is a billboard of me in my underwear in the middle of time square, now I have to talk about it." He sighs.

"Does it air live?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm on set right now actually. Are you home?" he asks.

"I'm just pulling into the garage," I tell him.

"Hold on one second, hot stuff."

I hear muffled voices on the other end and Nick sigh loudly. "Why can't I just play hockey?" he says after a few seconds.

I laugh. "Oh come on, you're now a Calvin Kline model, do you know how many girls you can get."

"I only want one girl and she's all the way in Seattle, hanging out with some hotshot CEO," he says bitterly.

"Nick…" I say softly. I hate when he says things like that, ever since 10th grade he has been trying to get me to like him but I just can't. I love Nick with all my heart but I am not in love with him and it kills me. He is perfect, he's good looking, sweet, treats me like a princess, and he's in love with me, but I just don't love him back.

"I know, I know, I'm not supposed to say things like that. It's just- Sorry, I'm good. Hey I have to go, they want me to do rehearse this segment. I love you," he says, his voice small and sad.

"I will see you tonight then. Call me when you are done so we can watch last week's Scandal. I love you too!"

"Alright, we'll face time later." He says and hangs up.

I rest my head against the steering wheel. I want to scream; why do I keep doing this to him? I take deep breath and open the door, I grab my overnight bag from the back and walk to the elevator.

The elevator ride up to my apartment is quick; its 10 o'clock so most people are at work and the building is quiet. I lean against the wall of the elevator and fight to keep my eyes open, the lack of sleep is really catching up to me.

Once the elevator gets to my floor I stumble to my apartment. I open the door and drop my overnight bag on the foyer floor. I kick of my sneakers then take off my shoes, I walk to my bedroom, removing my clothes as I do. Once I reach my room I am in just my bra and panties with a trail of clothes behind me. I take off my bra and immediately relax, if I ever meet the person that invented these torture devices I will choke them.

I walk to my closet and grab my Rangers sweatshirt that I bought when Nick signed with the team and throw it on. I love this sweatshirt, its big, comfortable and warm; my apartment is a little chilly since I didn't turn on the heat before I left Monday morning. Once I put on the sweater I crawl into my bed and wrap the covers around me. I take a deep breath and notice that my pillow smells like Christian Grey- fresh linen, expensive body was and musk. I smile as my eyes close and I drift into sleep, visions of gray eyes and copper hair swirl around my head.

My eyes snap open and I look around my room disoriented. My head turns to my bedside table and I notice that my phone is ringing. I grab my phone and let out an annoyed sigh, I answer without looking at the caller ID.

"Dr. Steele," I snap, irritated.

"Someone is angry," Christian's deep, smooth voice comes through the speaker. I can almost picture the smirk on his handsome face.

"You woke me up," I tell him.

"I'm so sorry, sleeping beauty," he says sarcastically.

"What do you want, Christian?" I snap, annoyed by his sarcasm.

"I just wanted to check on you. You haven't responded to any of my emails," he explains.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't had time. It's been a busy couple of days. I haven't even had time to sleep more than two hours since Monday night," I tell him.

"I'm sorry, go back to sleep then and I will see you Friday," he apologizes.

"No it's okay, I've been asleep since 11 o'clock and its, 5pm- shit! My alarm didn't ring, I wanted to go visit Karina," I say more to myself than to him. I jump out of my bed and my legs get tangled in the sheets and I fall face down on the floor.

Christian's booming laughter blares out of the speakers.

"Ow!" I whimper.

Christian immediately stops laughing. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm good," I say sitting on the floor.

"What happened?" he asks.

"I fell out of my bed. You know what? Screw this, I'm going to stay home tonight and order a pizza. So what's up?" I ask him as I pick myself up off the floor.

"I'm just preparing to head home," he says.

"What do you have planned for tonight? Hot date?" I ask.

"On a Wednesday? And either way I don't date."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You never explained why," I say.

"You'll find out this weekend," he responds, his tone darkens. Fifty is so mercurial, he's hot one minute then switches on the drop of a dime.

"So if you don't date, what do you do for fun? Other than sailing and gliding."

"Work," he says like it's the most obvious thing on the planet. "How about you? No hot date tonight?"

"I have a hot date with my TV, a large extra cheese and veggie pizza, and a bottle of wine."

"Should I be jealous?" He laughs.

"You should, because I will eat all that Reese's ice cream you left in my freezer," I tell him.

"You wouldn't dare." His voice gets low and husky and every muscle south of my waist clenches.

"Oh but I would. And it will be delicious." I laugh.

"Just wait until I get my hands on you, Dr. Steele," he threatens, his voice is husky and low and dripping of naughty promise.

"What are you going to do then, Mr. Grey?"

"Now that would be telling, Dr. Steele."

"Tease." We both laugh.

"I have to go," I tell him. I need to get things ready for this weekend and get some work done.

"Alright, I'll see you Friday, Dr. Steele."

"Bye." Neither one of us hangs up.

After a few seconds Christian says, "Hang up."

"You hang up!"

"Why is it that you never listen to me?" he says in mock exasperation.

"Because it's 2014 and not 1814, I don't have to listen to you," I respond smugly.

"You and that smart mouth." I can just see him now, shaking his head and running his fingers through his mane of copper waves.

"Me and my smart mouth will see you Friday." I hang up.

I stare down at my phone and smile; he is the most frustrating, infuriating, witty, sexy…. I don't even know anymore.

I set my phone down on the table and jump in the shower. I wash my hair and put in a deep conditioner and stuff all my hair in a shower cap. I take my time and exfoliate my whole body. Thankfully I though ahead and got a quick Brazilian wax Tuesday afternoon when I had a couple of free hours. I have always been a stickler for keeping everything nice and neat down there. After I jump out of the shower I put some leave in conditioner in my hair and a green tea mask on my face. I put my hair in a bun and put a white, fluffy hairband around my forehead to keep any hair form sticking to the mask. I put in a whiting strip on my teeth and stare at myself in the mirror. I look like a monster, men have no idea what it takes to look good.

I put on a black lace jump suit, it is strapless and the shorts barely cover my butt, but it is one of the cutest lounge pieces I own and the lace feels heavenly against my skin. I walk out into the kitchen and see that it is already 7:23, wow, that shower took longer than I though. I walk to the kitchen and grab a bottle of wine, a glass and some take out menus and plop down on the couch. I turn on the TV and get settled in when my doorbell rings.

I put my glass of wine on the table and walk to the door. The doorbell rings again and I run to the door. I swing the door open and my heart stops.

Christian is standing right in front of my door, looking drop dead gorgeous in his pinstripe suit and clean, crisp, white shirt and blue tie. He is holding a large pizza box and a bottle of wine. My eyes meet his and my heat skips a beat; his smoldering gray eyes stare into mine and I suddenly forget where I am, I forget my own name. I don't care that I look like shit and I have green crap all over my face and glasses on, and my hair is a mess. I am lost in a deep sea of gray and I never want to be found.

After a few minutes I finally manage to avert my gaze and form a coherent sentence. "Hi," I say, my voice meek.

"Hello," he says, a smirk pulls on his full, pouty lips. "Can I come in or are we standing here all night?"

"Please come in." I open the door wider and he walks in. He walks to the kitchen and sets the pizza down on the island. I take the opportunity to stare at his delicious derrière; I have never seen a man with an ass like that, I almost drool.

He sets the pizza box on the counter and turns around, he puts his hands on the island and leans back, staring at me.

He reaches his hand out and I take it, expecting him to pull me in, but he just holds my hand out and runs his eyes up and down my body. I suddenly remember what I'm wearing and a furious blush heats my cheeks, I'm thankful for the mask.

"God you are killing me," he sighs and closes his eyes, like looking at me is painful. A feeling of satisfaction blooms in my chest, it's good to know I affect him like he affects me.

"I would kiss you, but you have stuff on your face." He laughs.

"Well, if you called then I would have taken the mask off," I snap, I finally regained my voice.

His smile gets wider and he tugs at my hand, pulling me closer to him. One of his hands finds it way around my waist and he pulls me against him. His other hand grabs the back of my neck and pulls my face closer to his. Anticipation builds up as his lips inch closer to mine, until finally he softly presses them against mine. It takes everything in me not to grab him and deepen the kiss.

He pulls away after a few seconds and I want to cry until he crushes his lips to mine, this time urgently and full of promise. His tongue darts out and he licks around my bottom lip, asking for permission and in response I open my lips slightly. The hand that was on my waist travels down my back and finds its way to my butt, he pushes me towards him and gives my butt a squeeze. I moan when I feel impressive erection pressing against my stomach. My thoughts are clouded and all I can think about is the feel of his body pressed against mine and the feel of his tongue exploring my mouth.

I barely notice when he turns us around and lifts me up. I only realize the change in possession when my butt hits the cold counter top and I yelp and jump. Christian chuckles, _bastard! _I tangle my hands in his soft hair and pull him back in, Christian is more than happy to comply. He spreads my legs and steps between them, his hands on each of my knees. I wrap my legs around his waist and his erection rubs against my wet center and the feeling is exquisite, both Christian and I moan. I pull away slightly and bite his lower lip, a low half groan, half moan sound comes from the back of Christian's throat. His hands move from my knees and up my thighs, spreading my legs apart further. As his hands move up they leave a trail of goose bumps in their wake. I pull at his hair harder and he moans and rubs against me again.

_Oh my god! This is heaven,_ I think to myself. After a few minutes Christian pulls away and leans his forehead against mine. We stay like this for a few moments both trying to catch out breaths. His eyes blaze into mine, gray to blue and after a few minutes I notice his signature Christian Gray smirk appear on his face.

"Hi," he says his voice breathy.

I clear my throat. "Hi."

He pulls away and lifts me off the counter. I look up and notice he has my face mask all over his face, around his lips, on his chin and his forehead. A giggle escapes my lips and Christian looks down at me. "I love that sound. What are you laughing at?"

I grab my phone from the counter and snap a couple of picture of him before he even has time to react. I hand him my phone so he can look at the pictures. "You better delete these," he says.

"We'll see." I shrug. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He snaps a couple of pictures of me. "What are you doing?!"

"Insurance, delete those pictures or else," he threatens.

"You don't scare me, Christian Grey," I tell him as I walk past him to the bathroom to wash my face.

He follows after me. "Well you should be scared. You will be, just you wait," he says, his voice suddenly dark and a faraway look appears on his face. We both quickly wash our faces and head back out into the living room.

I pour Christian a glass of wine as he grabs the pizza from the kitchen. He walks back into the living room and kicks off his shoes, he walks over to me, picks me up and sits down on the couch, pulling me onto his lap.

"I really like this little outfit of yours." He smirks, looking down at me, his copper hair flops down onto his forehead.

He takes off his suit jacket and throws it onto the chair in the corner and rolls up his sleeves. He pulls a blanket around us and grabs the pizza box from the coffee table and sets it on my lap.

I open the lid and hand him a slice then take one for myself.

"I haven't had pizza in years," he tells me as he takes the first bite of his slice.

I freeze, my pizza in midair. "You haven't eaten pizza in years? Years? Are you human?" I ask shocked.

He shrugs. "I'm not a huge fan of pizza and it's very unhealthy so I stay away from it. What were you planning on watching?" he nods to the TV.

I take a bite of my pizza as he turns on the TV. "Nick has an interview on Seth Meyer and it airs live in the east coast at 11 pm and its 7:58 here, so it will start in two minutes," I tell him.

"I finally get to see this famous Nick," he says, his voice condescending.

He changes the channel just as the credit air. Seth goes through his monologue and I laugh so hard that I have tears rolling down my face. Christian is laughing too, but mostly at me. "I love Seth Meyers," I tell him.

"I can see that," he responds as the first commercial brake comes on. Nick's interview will be the second half of the show. Christian refills my cup of wine.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" I accuse him playfully.

"Why would I ever even think of doing that?" he says playfully then winks.

"You don't need to get me drunk to take advantage of me," I say quietly.

"You are killing me, women," he groans.

Just as I go to respond the commercial ends and the screen flashes to Seth sitting on his desk. "Our next guess has been called the best goalie to ever play hockey. He's the Rangers 'boy wonder' and ladies he has all his teeth and a contract from Calvin Kline. My favorite hockey player of all time, Nick Benson." The audience goes wild as Nick steps out onto the stage; girls are screaming and the men are hollering. Nick waves at them, clearly uncomfortable, he looks sexy in tight, dark blue jeans, a grey shirt and a blue blazer. His light brown hair is parted to the side but his curls are coming though, and his face a little bit of scruff on it.

I take out my phone and text him, telling him that he should have shaved. He walks up to Seth and they shake hands and Seth bows down playfully.

"Wow! You guys are loud," Nick says once the audience calms down.

"I love you!" Some girl screams from the audience. Nick gives her a wide megawatt grin and the audience starts clapping again, until finally Seth motions for them to calm down.

"Hello, how are you?" Seth asks him

"I'm great." Nick grins at him, showing off his dimples.

"Great game last night. My wife went crazy when you punched Letang." Seth laughs. The screen flashes to a video of the fight, I sigh and shake my head.

"He had it coming." Nick says.

"I have a gift for you," Seth tells Nick. He reaches under his desk and pulls out a bag.

"That's funny, because I have a gift for you, too," Nick says.

"Mine first," Seth says and hands Nick a blue bag. Nick takes the tissue paper out of the bag and pulls out a handful of shirts. He looks up at Seth confused. "You never seem to wear a shirt in any of the pictures I see you in so I assume you can't afford one. So I got you seven, one for every day of the week."

Nick throws his head back laughing. He looks through the shirts and stops at one that has the super man logo in it. "Can I try it on now?" he asks, and the audience goes wild.

"Go right ahead."

Nick stands and takes of his blazer and puts his phone on Seth's desk, then he pulls off his shirt. The audience screams when they see his abs and Nick is loving this. I grab my phone and text him.

*Put your shirt back on!*

Nick puts the Superman shirt on and sits back down. He reaches next to his chair and picks up the black bag he brought on stage with him then hands it to Seth. Seth reaches into the bag and pulls out a custom designed hockey helmet and a pack of Calvin Kline underwear. "This is awesome! It has my name on it!" Seth says excitedly, showing the helmet to the camera. The Helmet has the late show logo on it and Seth's picture on the other side.

"I'm glad you like it." Nick leans back against the chair and puts one of his legs across his knee.

"So I read somewhere that your best friend is a brain surgeon. Is that real?" Seth asks.

"Yeah, my best friend, Ana, is a neurosurgery resident at WSU medical center," Nick says proudly.

"How does that happen? Where did you two meet?"

"We've known each other since sixth grade, but we really didn't become good friends until seventh. After that we were inseparable, we went to high school together, then to Brown, then we moved out to New York together," Nick explains.

"That's so awesome. Does she bring brains home?" Seth asks.

Nick cringes, recalling something. I start laughing when I realize what he's thinking of. "No, but after her first surgery she somehow managed to convince them to let her keep the tumor she removed, so she brought it home and put it in glow in the dark liquid. I came home after practice at like 11pm and I didn't turn on the lights because I didn't want to wake her up-we were living together at that point, and she's the lightest sleeper. So I threw my bag on the couch and I hear a loud bang and glass shattering. I rush over and see the glow in the dark liquid all over the floor and some laying in it. Being the idiot that I am I picked it up, in my defense it was dark. So I'm standing in the middle of the living room, holding a tumor, which I have no idea is a tumor-"

"Couldn't you feel that it was squishy or something?" Seth asks.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think of that. Who the hell would bring home a tumor?!" Nick says laughing.

"So keep going," Seth prompts.

"So here I am holding this tumor when the lights turn on. Ana is standing there- mind you she's 5'2 and about 115lbs-" I'm going to kill him for airing my weight out on national television. "She comes running into the living room, holding a baseball bat, in short shorts and a tank top, yelling like a maniac. So I yell because it catches me off guard, then she yells because I yell. Then I look down at what I'm holding and there's a bloody golf ball sized tumor in my hands so I throw it at her. She's still freaking out so she swings the bat and it hits the tumor-" Nick stops because he's laughing so hard. Even Christian beside me is hysterically laughing.

Once Nick composes himself he continue on with the story. "So the tumor flies cross the room and hits the wall, spewing out tumor juice all over the place. After that I refused to have anything from the hospital come into the apartment."

Seth is laughing so hard that he has tears rolling down his face. "After the commercial, Nick and I are going to play Hockey pong. We'll be right back," he says through fits of laughter.

"Did that really happen?" Christian asks.

"Yeah, it took forever to get all the stains out of the rug and the wall," I tell him.

I grab the pizza box and stand up. Walking to the kitchen I can't help but think about how much I miss Nick; he can always make me laugh like no one else. I put the pizza box into the recycling and grab the Reese's ice cream from the freezer. I walk back into the living room with two spoons and the carton of ice cream. I take my place on Christian's lap and we dig into the ice cream.

"This is so good," he says after his first spoonful.

"I know. Oh, it's back," I yell out excitedly.

The screen flashes to Nick and Seth standing in front of an air hockey table.

"Welcome back everyone! I'm here with Rangers Goalie, Nick Benson. We are going to play a combination of two of my favorite games, air hockey and beer pong-"

"Those are your favorite games?" Nick interrupts laughing.

"Yeah, great for children. Okay, Nick, so we are going to play hockey pong. The rules are simple, if the puck ends up in your cup then you have to chug your beer," Seth explains to Nick.

"Alright, let's do this," Nick says excitedly, he stretches his neck and arms, then stands behind the modified air hockey table.

The table looks like a regular air hockey table but it has six holes on either side, where the goal usually is, under the holes sit red cups most likely filled with beer.

"I would love to play that game," Christian says from behind me.

I shake my head and turn my attention back to the TV just in time to see Nick take the first shot. They hit the ball back and forth until it ends up in one of Nick's cups. He shrugs his shoulders in defeat but chugs the beer and puts it down upside down on the table. They start again and Seth gets another one into one of Nick's cups in seconds.

"What the hell! This is going to cost me my job!" Nick jokes after chugging the beer.

They next few rounds Nick scores on Seth, doing a little dance after each one. Finally Seth calls a truce. "Alright, alright, you win." He holds his hands up in defeat, then turns to face the camera. "Thank you for watching, please come out to the Calvin Kline store opening right here in Manhattan this weekend and check out the new athletic line for men. Thank you, Nick." He turns and shakes Nick's hand as the band closes out the show.

Christian reaches over, grabs the remote and shuts off the TV, then turns to stare at me his face impassive.

"So? What did you think?" I ask breaking the silence.

He shrugs. "This is why I don't watch television."

"You don't watch TV, you don't eat pizza. Seriously, are you human?" I laugh.

"Are you laughing at me, Dr. Steele?" He asks, his voice dark and threatening; I don't know if he's joking. He snakes his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him, so that I'm basically straddling him.

"I wouldn't dare," I answer, my voice muffled by his shoulder.

He leans his head in and rests in on the crook of my neck, his light stubble rubbing against my skin sends shivers down my spine. "So what so you want to do now?" he whispers, his voice low and seductive, full of naughty promise.

"I don't know. What do you have in mind?" I ask distractedly as he starts kissing up my neck.

"I can think of a few things. But I would rather let you decide. So what do you want, Anastasia?" he whispers against my ear. My hands twitch by my sides, itching to touch him, but I restrain myself knowing that it will ruin the good mood he's in.

"Let's talk," I say after a few seconds.

"Talk?" Christian says, his voice laced with disappointment.

"Yes, talk," I confirm.

"That wasn't exactly what I was thinking."

"Oh? What did you have in mind?" I whisper, my heart racing.

"Well, it doesn't involve talking-" his hands travel up my thighs. "-or clothes…" he trails of suggestively.

I move my hands from my side and slap his hands. He quickly jerks them off my thighs. "I am a lady, Mr. Grey. Let's talk." I slide off his lap and take the blanket along with me. I sit down on the opposite side of the couch and pull my feet up so they lay on his lap.

He looks at me, a bewildered expression on his face. "You hit me?"

"You were getting a little to handsy there, Mr. Grey. I needed to put you in your place," I tell him with a smug smile on my face. He stares at me for a few seconds then shakes his head, a huge megawatt smile appears on his face and catches me off guard. "What's so funny?"

"You. Not many people surprise me, but you do," he says, his voice laces with disbelief and something else-admiration, maybe?

"Gotta keep you on your toes, Grey. I don't want you getting bored."

"Bored? With you? Not likely, Ana." He slides down the couch and lays down, his feet intertwined with mine. I take the blanket and drape if over us. I grab a throw pillow and put it behind my back and hand one to Christian who does the same. I grab another one and hold it in front of me.

"So how was your day? What did you do all day? Walk me through the day of a billionaire CEO," I ask him to get the conversation started.

He chuckles. "It's actually not as exciting as you might thing."

"Well, the closest I have come to knowing what you people do all day is watching a Batman movie and Bruce Wayne seems to have an interesting life," I tell him.

"You people?" he asks, a smirk on his face.

"You know, the one percent," I tell him.

"Oh, we wake up, yell at our staff, have someone bathe us in gold and dress in satin robes. Then we are carried down to the dining room of out mansions and fed caviar, then we are driven around where we take time to look at all the little, poor people on the street. Then we go back home and count our money and do it all again the next day," he says, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"I'm serious!" I tell him.

"So am I." He laughs.

I gently kick his foot. "I'm serious, what do you do for a living? What is GEH?"

"You are so violent. Why are you so interested in what I do?" he asks.

"I want to know about you. And you work a lot and your company is obviously very important to you, so I want to know about it. It also seems like a safe topic where no one will get offended. Also please dumb it down for me, I've never really been good with business and all that crap," I tell him sincerely.

He seems taken aback by my sincerity, every time I ask him a question he has the same reaction. It is as if no one has ever asked him about these things. _Maybe no one has_, my subconscious says. Then it suddenly hits me, people are probably intimidated by his tough persona, and his wealth, or they just don't care enough, to ask him questions about himself. _My poor fifty_, I think to myself.

After a few seconds he gives me a dazzling smile. "Well, today was a very boring day. My COO, Ros and I have been working on a deal to buy a Taiwanese ship yard so we had a virtual conference with the Taiwanese business men who own the yard. That lasted the majority of the morning. Then it was just paperwork, and meetings," he says sounding bored.

"That sounds very boring," I tell him.

"It's more interesting than it sounds," he reassures me. "So what have you been doing since Monday?" he asks.

I sigh, remembering my hectic shift. "It was exhausting, the second I got to work Monday morning a 20 year old man came in with a stroke. A stroke! What 20 year old gets a stork? So I had to rush into the OR and try to find the clot, almost blind, before the whole left side of his brain died from lack of oxygen. After 8 hours, I got the clot out and everything was great, or so I thought. Once we ran the MRI after we found that not only was there a clot in his brain there was one in his spine that paralyzed him from the waist down. We couldn't risk getting that clot out because we would probably kill him. So at about 12 o'clock I had to go down and tell his family that their 20 year old son may never be able to walk again. Then I had to go tell him that he may never be able to walk again. The rest of the day was better, I actually got to spend some time in the lab last night."

Christian looks at me, a look of wonder and admiration on his face. "I don't know how you do that. I can't imagine doing that."

"I love my job," I tell him. "Okay, enough about work. Let's talk about something else."

"What would you like to talk about?" He asks.

"What? You can't think of anything to ask, Mr. Grey? I'm disappointed," I tease him.

He smirks at me. "I will only ask if you promise to answer. And not the little evasive answers you like to give," he tells me, his voice serious.

I take a deep breath and square my shoulders. "Ask whatever you want."

"Who was your first kiss?" he asks after a few minutes of thinking.

_Shit! He is not going to like this answer. _I take another deep breath. "It was Nick," I say, my voice small, barely above a whisper.

He stares at me impassively, but his eyes darken and a flash of anger appears. "Of course it was," he mutters sarcastically.

"You wanted honest answers, don't ask questions if you can't handle the answers," I tell him, my voice defensive. "So how was your first kiss?" I ask him.

"Oh no, Dr. Steele, I ask the questions," he says, his voice carefree and fun once more. How can someone go from A to Z in two seconds flat.

"I never agreed to that!" I yell.

"It was implied." He shrugs.

I open my mouth to say something but decide against it. I just shake my head and motion for him to ask another question.

He looks around the room and stops when something catches his eye. I look in the direction he's looking in and see the box that holds my old wedding dress and my heart stops, I know what he's going to ask.

"Tell me about your engagement. What happened?" he asks softly, almost hesitant about it.

Should I tell him? Should I open up and tell this man I barely know the most haunting and terrifying experience of my life? I look into his hypnotic eyes and I'm lost in a sea of gray. He looks apprehensive and curious, and I'm terrified. But for some reason I feel that he would understand, that he could somehow heal me. He has obviously been through some horrible trauma himself and he has to live with the physical scares of it, I ran away and he couldn't. Looking in his eyes I feel safe, I have never told someone everything that happened with Maxwell, not even Nick; I've kept it all buried for months.

My hands shake and my heartbeat increases. A cold sweat breaks out all over my body, and a lump forms in my throat. I take a deep breath, _here we go…_

**Another cliff hanger, sorry! So what did you all think? Super long chapter, I know, but I want something to hold you guys over until the next update which should be two Friday's from now, if not I give you all permission to hunt me down and beat some sense into me ;). So next chapter will clear up some of Ana's past, especially her relationship with Maxwell. Next chapter will be a flashback to Ana's life before moving to Seattle. Thank you all for reading and please review, favorite, and follow and PM me I love reading them. Also don't forget to check out the Pinterest board the link is in my bio, and if you find any pictures that you think my go with the story please don't hesitate to share them with me, I'll put them in the board. Thank you!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello everyone! Yay, I'm only a couple of days late, I'm getting better. Thank you all for your amazing reviews and PM's, I adore reading them. This chapter was by far the hardest to write because of the intensity of it. This chapter will finally give some answers that you were all hoping for. In writing this chapter I have done a lot of research about abused women and they are some of the strongest, bravest, most amazing women out there and I hope that my character does them justice. **

**Please enjoy this chapter and check out the Pinterest page. Please let me know what you think, this chapter was very hard to write and I would love to know if it lived up to your expectations. Thank you all so much for your continued supported, I really appreciate it. Please review, Favorite, Follow and check out the Pinterest page, I've put a few new pictures up. If any of you find pictures that you think would go well with my story please feel free to send it to me! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: This chapter contains graphic violence scenes and it may not be for everyone. I tried to make it as accurate as possible without going overboard on the graphic part of it. **

**Enjoy!**

**-Lily**

**Flashback:**

"Annie! Annie! Wake up," Nick says as he jump onto my bed, pulling the covers off me.

"Go away," I mutter my voice muffled by the pillow. I reach my hand over and try to swat Nick away.

"You have your dress fitting in an hour and you told me to wake you up. The Monster in law and her swaps are coming," he whispers in my ear.

I groan into the pillow then turn to lay on my back. Nick is laying on his side, one hand supporting his head while the other is draped around my waist. I push against him until he is laying on his back, rest my head on his chest and drape my arm against his hard stomach. He wraps his arms around me and I relax slightly in his muscular, comforting embrace.

"You can always end it," he whispers.

"Nick-"

"No listen to me, he been _working late_ for the past three months and do I need to remind you about how the fight ended last week?" Nick says, his voice soft but I can tell he is about to lose it.

"Nick it was an accident, he didn't mean-"

"He didn't mean to slap you across the face so hard that the imprint of his hand was on your cheek for hours?!" Nick yells and I flinch away.

"I'm sorry, baby girl. I just don't know about him. He did it once and he's going to do it again," Nick says softly.

I push off him and jump out of bed. "You know what? Max and I talked about it and he apologized and promised that it would never happen again. It was the first and the last time and it's done, I don't see why you keep bring it up! I understand that you don't like him, but you should be supportive instead of trying to break us up. News flash, Benson, even if I end it with him I won't go for you. So stop trying!" I yell at him.

Nicks expression quickly changes from one of shock to one of excruciating pain and I instantly regret what I said. His eyes are wide and his cheeks are flushed, he looks at me in disbelief for a few seconds then looks down and gets out of my bed. He leaves my room not even giving me a backward glance.

I want to call out after him, I want to run to him and grovel until he forgives me but I'm paralyzed. I have never said anything like that to Nick, it was cruel and completely uncalled for, and he was just looking after me. I stand in the middle of my room as tears start pouring down my face, the floodgates have opened and there is no closing them now.

I used to never cry but ever since the Max proposed we have been so distant. He's been working late, later than usual, and now that I'm a resident my work schedule is hectic. Whenever Max and I see each other all we do is fight; we fight about the stupidest things, from cake flavor to Nick to why I left my phone in my purse and the fights end up turning into screaming matches…or worst.

I can't help but think back to that night.

_ "Tonight was great, thank you!" I tell Max as we walk into my apartment. _

_ "Anything for you, baby," he says and kisses the top of my head. Tonight has been amazing, it's the first night in three weeks where we have gone out just the two of us, without a fight. _

_ Max goes to the kitchen and pour us each a glass of wine and comes to join me in the living room. I take the wine glass as he sits down next to me and I snuggle into him. "So what do you want to watch?" he asks. _

_ "Put on Nick's game," I tell him. _

_ He sighs. "Can't we just watch a movie? I don't want to watch another one of his fucking games."_

_ "I didn't get to go to the game tonight so I want to watch it," I tell him, reaching for the remote. _

_ "I know you missed the game! That's all you've been saying all night!" Max yells. _

_ "What the hell are you talking about? This is the first time I said anything about it!" I look at him in disbelief. _

_ "Tonight! But it's always Nick this and Nick that. I'm sick of your shit!" He screams, his brown eyes wide and his nostrils flared._

_ "Why are you getting so angry? I just said I wanted to watch the game. We can watch something else if you want," I say giving in, I don't want to start a fight. _

_ "That's not the point. I plan this whole evening and go out of my way for you but you are such an ungrateful bitch!" He stands and throws the remote at the wall. _

_ I scream out of shock and look up at him. He has never gotten this mad at me, ever, or called me a bitch. Suddenly my shock turns to anger, how dare he speak to me like that? _

_ I stand up. "What the hell is wrong with you Max?! Get the fuck out of my house!" I yell, pointing at the door. _

_ "Your house? This isn't your fucking house, it's Nick's house, which he lets you live in, in return for whatever it is you give him," he says his voice cold. _

_ I gasp, shocked and appalled. "How dare you say that? Get the fuck out! NOW!" I get his jacket from the back of the couch and throw it at him._

_ He catches the jacket, throws it to the floor, reaches over and grabs my arm. He pulls me close to him, his fingers squeezing the top of my arm painfully. My heart rate increases and a cold sweat appears on the back of my neck. He looks down at him, his eyes wide and angry. _

_ "Don't you ever speak to me like that. Understand?" He spits at me. _

_ "Max, let me go, you're hurting me," I tell him. I try to pull my arm away but it only makes him squeeze tighter. "Max! Let go of me! I'm not going to ask again!" I yell._

_ Anger flashes in his eyes and he squeezes my arm tighter, after that everything seems to go in slow motion. I'm looking up at him, ready to scream bloody murder until I feel as sharp sting on the side of my face and my world goes black for a few seconds. I only realize what's happening when he suddenly throws me down. I scream and brace myself for more pain but thankfully I land on the couch. I quickly sit back up, and look up at Max in complete disbelief and fear. He is looking down at me, his eyes cold and vacant, tears are streaming down my face and I have one of my shaking hands pressed against my face, where he just slapped me and my ears are ringing from the blow. I have to get him out of here, I have to do something before this gets worst, I think frantically. _

_ Suddenly his whole domineer changes. "Oh my God! Baby, I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into me," he says, his voice remorseful. He walks over to the couch and tries to get closer to me, I flinch and scoot back to put more distance between us. _

_ "Baby, please. I am so so sorry. This will never happen again. I just go so jealous because I love you so much and you are always with Nick. I don't know what got into me. Please, baby, don't be like that." He reaches his hand out to me and a new wave of tears stream down my cheeks. _

_ "Baby, please don't cry. Please! I am so sorry. Please I can't lose you!" he whispers. He gets down on his knees in front of me and wraps his arms around my waist and lays his head on my lap-_

I jump when I hear a knock on the door. Ever since the incident I've been really jumpy.

"Anastasia, are you ready yet?" Jackie's high pitched voice comes through the door. _Oh great they are here already_.

"Just give me a minute, Jackie," I tell her. I don't have time to take a shower so I just change into a strapless, white bra and matching panties and a sun dress. I throw my hair up into a ponytail and put on some mascara and lip gloss, I normally don't put on makeup but now Max insists on it.

I walk out into the living room and find Jackie and Jessica, Max's sister, sitting next to Nick. "Alright, I'm ready, let's go," I tell them.

Jackie looks at me and her face contorts in disgust. "Is that what you're wearing?" she asks bitterly.

"Yeah, why is it ugly?" I say, suddenly self-conscious.

"Well, it would be cute if you weighed about 10 pounds less, but we don't have time for you to change," Jessica snickers.

I look down, a blush rushes to my cheeks as tears fill my eyes. I blink a few times and suck my stomach in, then look up to see Nick glaring at Jessica.

"I think you look beautiful," he says reassuringly. I look up at him and mouth 'thank you'. I now feel worst about what I said to Nick earlier, I'll have to grovel tonight. He gives me a reassuring smile and I suddenly feel better.

"Can we go? I don't have all day," Jackie says.

I grab my purse and we leave the apartment. The rest of the day goes off without any major incident, apart from Jessica's constant jabs at my weight. Soon after the dress fitting I made an up an excuse that I had to go into work for a consult and ended the afternoon early. I hate spending time with them, but since my mom is busy with work and my sister is finishing up her PhD, I have to take them with me to do all the wedding crap.

I walk into a café on 5th and grab a latte. I sit down by the window and watch people as they walk around. I love New York, I love the hustle of the city but I can't help but feel lonely. When Nick and I first moved here it was amazing; living in Rhode Island all my life, the big city was a shock to the system. Then when I met Max on my last year of medical school I thought life couldn't get better. Then we got engaged and everything changed, he became distant and my career is taking of and we haven't had a chance to spend time together. Suddenly an idea pops into my head and I jump out of my seat in excitement.

I rush out of the café into the busy darkness of New York and hail a cab. I call ahead to Max's favorite restaurant and get us dinner then give the cab driver the address to the restaurant. I pick up dinner then I'm off to his apartment, I can barely contain myself, finally Max and I can spend a nice evening together and reconnect, especially after the incident.

Once we get to Max's apartment I pay the cab driver and leave him an obscenely large tip and head into the building. The ride up to Max's floor is quick and I spend most of it searching my purse for the key to his apartment. Once I get out of the elevator I rush down the hallway to his apartment.

I unlock the door and walk in. Just as I step into the apartment I trip on something, I suddenly know something is strange because Max never leaves anything on the ground. I look down and see a woman's pump on the ground and my stomach drops. _No, no, no! This can't be happening_, I think frantically.

Then I hear it, a women's breathy moan and it feels like my world shatters around me. I stand in the kitchen for god knows how long before I find the strength to move. We were waiting, we were going to wait until after we got married to have sex. We talked about it. We were going to wait. OH MY GOD! I can't breathe, my breath comes in short shallow gulps and I start to get dizzy. I sink down to the floor just as tears start to fall unhinged down my face.

_Snap out of it! _A voice says in the back of my head. _Are you really crying over this loser? Need I remind you that he hit you two weeks ago? Get of the fucking floor and pull yourself together! You don't love him, you love the idea of him. Are your really going to spend the rest of your life with him? Scared about when you would make him so angry that he'll hit you again? Or put up with god awful family and their constant remarks about you? This is your chance! Leave him, you have an excuse, you're free. _The voice in my head says.

Suddenly it feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I get off the floor and wipe the tears off my cheek. I take a deep breath and walk to where the noise was coming from in Max's bedroom.

I pull the door open and I'm met with the image of my fiancé on top of some blonde bimbo. Max suddenly turns when he hears the door slam against the wall and his face is priceless. His normally tan face is pale and his eyes are wide in horror.

"Am I interrupting something?" I ask bitterly.

"Ana! Baby! This isn't what it looks like, I swear!" he says, pushing of the women and desperately trying to cover himself and rush over to me at the same time.

"Oh save it. Needless to say the wedding is off. Have a nice life, Max," I tell him. I take the ring off my finger toss it at the girl sitting in his bed looking bewildered. "Congratulations," I tell her than walk away, the sound of Max calling after me behind me.

I walk into the elevator and I'm expecting to cry and feel sad, but nothing. The only thing I feel is a sense of freedom, I'm free, from him, his family and his temper. I can eat whatever I want, I don't have to wear makeup, I don't have to pretend like I like his family. As the elevator comes to a halt I let out a sigh of relief. I walk out of the elevator get out of the building as quickly as I can.

Half an hour later I'm in front of my apartment. I unlock the door and walk in. "Nick!" I call out as I shut the door. I wait a few seconds but no response. "Nikki!" I call again as I walk into the living room.

As I enter the living room I see a note on the glass table. I walk over and pick it up, I look down and see that it's a note from Nick:

_I went out with the guys from the team, I should be back in a few hours. –Nick_

I set the note down and walk around the room, completely lost. _Shouldn't I feel sad? Or angry? _I think to myself. I don't feel anything, I'm actually content. It's the first time in a long time that I have felt like this. I look around the living room and decide on a bath before I make dinner.

I walk into my room, which is right down the hall from Nicks and get undressed, I walk into the bathroom and start to run a bath, I put my strawberry bubble bath into the tub and walk into my room to pick out underwear. Once I get back into the bathroom I play with my hair as I wait for the bath to fil up and the bathroom to steam. Just as I go to get into the bath I hear a loud knock on the door.

_Great, Nick forgot his keys again, _I think to myself as I wrap a towel around my body. I pad out to the foyer and swing the door open. "How many times do I have to tell you to remember your keys, Nick? Next time I'm not going to op-" My voice gets caught in my throat when I realize who is standing on the other side of the door.

Max is standing mere inches from me, his eyes have a wild look in them and they are bloodshot. His nostrils are flared and his tall frame is in an aggressive stance. I immediately get a bad feeling and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Ma-Max, what are you doing here?" I ask, my voice tremulous.

He doesn't say anything. He talks a step forward and I take one back and my towel starts to ride down. I suddenly realize how vulnerable and exposed I am and my fear intensifies.

"Max, please just go," I plead in a small voice, my fear evident.

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" he finally yells and his hand comes flying and hits me across the cheek. He hits me with such force that I fall on the ground with a loud thud. Before I can react I feel a sharp pain on my side as his foot comes in contact with my ribs. I gasp of air leaves my body only to be replaced by pain.

I look up at him with pleading eyes, silently begging him to stop. He looks back at me, his face blank and his eyes cold. "You're not so tough now are you, you little bitch?" he says bitterly.

He leans down and I try to back away but he grabs my hair before I can move. He pulls me up by my hair and the sharp pain courses through my body and I scream.

"Are you scared? You're not so strong with Nick here to protect you, huh? Look at you, you were going to open the door for him in a fucking towel. I should have listened to my mother and never proposed to a whore!" he screams the last part and pulls my face closer to his. He wraps a hand around my neck and let's go of my hair. Instinctively I wrap my hand around his, trying to pull his hand off me. This only seems to anger him more, he throws me on the ground and I land in the living room on my wrist. I feel my wrist snap and I scream again in pain.

"Max, please, please stop! I'll do anything, please!" I plead, tears streaming down my face.

"Anything? The only think I wanted you to do and you fucking refuse! That's why I slept with Carissa, because you won't. You're fucking Nick aren't you? You fucking whore, I know you are!" he screams, his voice frantic.

"No, no! I'm not! I swear, please believe me!" I yell desperately.

"I don't believe you, slut!" he jumps down and startles me. I try to fight him off but it's of no use with my wrist. I scream and scream but it just seems to make him angrier. He hits me and continues to hit me until my vision is blurry and I can barely keep my eyes open.

"Please, Max, please," I say quietly, my voice quiet and trembling.

He suddenly stops hitting me and I think it's over until he reaches for top of my towel and pulls in open. My eyes snap open and a new rush of adrenaline courses through me. At his moment I don't care what hurts, or that I can barely breathe. I punch and kick and scream, hoping to get him off me or that my neighbors will hear and come and help.

"What you don't like this? I'm sure if it was Nick you would love it," he says his voice cold and distant. His hand moves down my neck and he grabs my breast.

"No, stop! HELP! SOMEONE HELP! PLEASE!" I scream as I vigorously try to get him off me. "HELP! PLEASE HELP!" I keep screaming until he takes his hand off my breast and puts if over my mouth.

"Will you shut the fuck up? No one will hear you!" he yells at me.

I open my mouth and clamp my teeth down on his palm and hold it until I taste the blood in my mouth. He yanks his hand out of my mouth and slaps me hard across my face.

"You fucking bitch. Now you're really going to get it!" he yells.

_Oh my God! Oh please God, don't let this happen, please, please, no! This can't be happening,_ I think to myself.

"Please! Stop! HELP, SOMEONE HELP!" I try again.

"I said, shut up. The more you struggle the more painful I'll ma-" Suddenly he stops talking and he's off me and I hear a loud shattering noise from my left.

Before I realize what happened I look and see that Nick has tackeled to the ground and shards of broken glass are everywhere. Nick is on top of Max, throwing punch after punch, I quickly gather my towel and wrap it around myself.

Suddenly the shock and adrenaline wear off and the gravity of the situation catches up to me. I suddenly can't breathe, and tears are streaming down my face faster than I can wipe them away. A strange, primal noise assaults my ears and it takes me a minute to realize it's me making that noise.

Before I know it Nick is by my side, his arms around me, talking to me. Just as I look at him my world goes black.

**Present day: **

"So I woke up in the hospital with two cracked ribs, a mild concussion, and a broken wrist. I never told my parents what happened, Nick was there the whole time I was in the hospital, as was Dr. Jackson, my attending. They really got me through it, so did the therapy, two months after I was offered the job here and I took it and left without looking back and that was two months ago." I finish my story with a deep breath.

Christian stares, his face impassive but he is unable to hide the rage in his eyes. "If I were Nick I would have killed him," he finally speaks, his voice dark and full of anger.

"He wasn't worth it. I didn't press charges, I couldn't put my parents through that. The only people that know are Nick, Him, and now you. I'm good now, it's as if it never happened," I respond halfheartedly.

Christian reaches for my hand and pulls me over to his side of the couch. I rest my cheek against his chest and he wraps his arms around me, presses his cheek to the top of my head and rubs my back. "My brave Lioness," he whispers, I feel his small smile against my head.

"Roar!" I laugh.

"You are unbelievable. You just told one of the most horrific stories I've ever heard but you are still making jokes." He shakes his head.

"Would you rather I cry? I've cried enough over it," I whisper.

He pulls me against him tighter and I suddenly realize that it's the first time I hace ever touchec his chest in any way. I want to ask about it, but there has already been enough backstories for one night.

"Wait, you two were waiting for marriage?" he asks tentatively.

I nod. "Yup, I'm a virgin," I tell him.

Christian's body goes rigid and I pull away from his chest and look up at him. He stares at me wide eyed and pale. "Are you serious?" he whispers.

"Yes, I'm serious. I'm a virgin, in every sense of the word," I tell him.

"How can you be a virgin? You don't seem anything like a virgin," he asks, obviously shocked.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "No! I don't mean it like that! You are just so comfortable in your body and you are so fucking sexy, I just can't believe you are a virgin," he quickly explains.

"I was only 23 when I met Max and we decided to wait and well he didn't and I haven't dated anyone in these past four months; I've just been at work. I'm not going to wait until marriage anymore, but I just haven't had time," I explain and shrug.

Suddenly Christian's whole domineer changes. He goes from comforting to carnal in two seconds. His gray eyes darken and his pupils dilate. "There's time now," he says, his voice low and husky, dripping of naughty promise.

"You want to have sex with me?" I ask in shock.

"I've wanted you since you stepped into my office. You are the most attractive women I have ever seen and I have never wanted anyone as much as I want you. Please say yes…" he whispers, his deep voice dripping of sex.

Every muscle below my waist clenches as he leans down, his lips are mere centimeters away from mine and I suddenly feel every line of his hard body pressed against mine. _This god wants me, _I think to myself. The very thought sends shivers down my spine.

"_Please…"_

**So how was it? I know it was very intense but I wanted to situation to be as close to reality as it could be. I have never experienced violence, thankfully, so please know that I didn't down play it and I, in no way wanted to offend anyone. I did as much research as I could before I wrote this chapter so hopefully you all liked it. Thank you so much for reading and next chapter is going to get steamy! Please review, follow, and favorite and check out the Pinterest page.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi! I'm sort of scared to post again; it's been so long. I am so sorry, this is actually kind of embarrassing. But I am back and I will be updating a lot sooner now. This past month has been hectic, with finals, holidays and some personal drama's (Bad breakup****) but after a whole lot of Ben &amp; Jerry's I'm back! And in need of a diet.**

**Thank you all so much for your amazing comments and PMs. They have really gotten me through some tough times and I really appreciate it. When I started writing this story I never thought that I would meet such amazing people, but I have and I am so grateful. You guys have given me such great advice for the story and personal problems and I couldn't be more thankful. Also a huge thank you to my Karina, who kicked my ass into writing again and reading over this chapter, I love you, Girl!**

**Anyways, this chapter is steamy! I know you were all expecting it after where the last chapter ended and boy is it hot. After the depressing story Ana told Christian this is his way of comforting her. I was shocked to see that some people didn't want them to sleep together so soon, but for some reason it felt right and hopefully after you read this chapter you will see how much Christian really cares about Ana. The next chapter will be mostly from Christian's POV and it will be up really soon, I promise. Karina will kill me if I wait another month and trust me she is terrifying. Okay, I'll stop my babbling and let you guys read. Please review, favorite and follow, also don't forget to check out the Pinterest board, I have put up a few new pictures. I will also be posting a separate little Oneshot of Ana and Christian's first Christmas together, I know it's a little late but it is so cute and I will be posting it tomorrow. Enjoy!**

**-Lily **

**P.S. This chapter was inspired by Sam Hunts Speakers, I strongly suggest listening to it while you read. **

"Christian," I whisper his name as his lips move closer to mine.

"Anastasia," he responds, his voice low and husky. He runs his nose alongside mine and his scent, mixed with his proximity send me into a haze. His grip around my waist tightens and one of his hands moves up my back slowly, leaving a burning trail in its awake, and comes to rest at the nap of my neck. "Please say yes…"

I feel my will breaking and the rational part of my brain is screaming at me not to let this happen. _He's a stranger! You barely know him! Stop this craziness, you can't just give yourself to a man you've known for two minutes. He has some deep dark secret that he doesn't want you to know and you are just going to sleep with him?!_ My subconscious screams out in a vain attempt to stop me.

All rational thoughts seem to disappear when Christian tilts my head up to meet his smoldering gaze. His eyes are pools of dark gray and I'm hypnotized. I rise up on my elbows, and tilt my head closer to him, not once breaking eye contact.

"_Anastasia…_" he whispers once more and it's my undoing. I move my head closer to his until my lips are mere centimeters away from him. He lifts his head off the pillow and crushes his lips to mine. The second our lips connect all inhibition leaves me and I see stars. This kiss is nothing like any of the others we have shared. His mouth is demanding and pleading at the same time. Gentle and rough and sweet and forceful and… I can't think straight. He softly bites my bottom lip, asking for permission and I open my mouth willingly.

His expert tongue finds its way into my mouth and his tongue explores the oh-so-new yet oh-so-familiar territory. This time without hesitation my tongue meets his and we move together in a sensual tango. The hand in the nape of my neck tangles its way into my hair and tugs slightly, the slight pain causes me to let out a small whimper, and I hear a primal groan deep in Christian's chest. The sound alone sends me to the edge. I am lost, in him, in the feelings and I don't want it to end.

Before I realize what is happening Christian flips us over so that I am laying on the couch and he is above me. He kneels between my legs and stares at me appreciatively. I feel my cheeks turn scarlet from the embarrassment; I must look horrible, my hair is probably a mess from him pulling it and my lips are most likely swollen from his intense kiss.

"So beautiful," he whispers as he looks down at me. His pupils dilating, his eyes are almost all black now, with only a slight rim of gray around his pupils. His complement only causes me to blush more and turn away from him. He grabs my chin and turns my face towards his, forcing me to look at him. "I'm serious, you are the most beautiful women I have ever seen, Ana. Breathtaking." His lips softly meet mine but he pulls away before I have time to respond.

He goes back to kneeling between my legs and he stares down at me like he can't believe I'm here, then he shakes his head and a small smile appears on his face. _What is so funny?_ I think to myself. Before I have time to ask him the question his lips are back on mine again my body lights up, it feels like all my nerve endings are of fire, like I'm being electrocuted. Both my hands find their way into his hair and I grab fistfuls of his soft, copper hair. He pulls back from the kiss, bites and tugs at my bottom lip before letting it go and kisses the corner of my mouth. He trails kisses down my cheek and under my chin.

His lips find their way to my throat and his nips at my jugular which causes a whole new wave of arousal to course through me. I moan again and pull at his hair as he nips my throat again.

"I love that sound," he says against my neck. He continues to kiss down my throat and as his mouth moves south his hands move north. One of his hands grabs my calf and pulls my leg around his waist, the new position causes his impressive erection to press against my heated center. I move my hips against his, enticing another groan from him. His other hand moves up my waist, caressing the soft lace of my jumpsuit. The hand keeps moving up and he cups my breast.

"You fit so perfectly in my hands," he whispers against my collar bone.

His hand squeezes my breast and he runs his thumb over my hard nipple, a shock of electricity courses through me and all the muscles south of my waist clench and my hips grind against his. It's as if there is a direct line from my nipple to my now wet center. I feel his grin against my collar bone and he grazes his thumb over my lace covered nipple again, this time stopping to take it between his thumb and forefinger. His expert hands and the feel of the slightly rough lace against my skin causes my nipples to harder and elongate almost to the point of pain. Once he is satisfied his hand moves to my neglected breast and he repeats the process, driving me crazy.

"Christian, please…" I beg, my voice needy and husky; unlike anything I have ever heard before.

"What is it, baby?" he replays innocently, a mischievous grin on his perfect face. He moves his other hand from its place on my hip and he grabs the top of my jumpsuit with both his hands. He roughly tugs the material down, exposing me to his hungry eyes.

He pulls back and admires me, a primal, needy sound leaves his throat, it's a mix between a growl and a moan and it causes goosebumps to rise all over my skin. "You are perfection," he tells me. And in that moment I no longer feel self-conscious, I am no longer embarrassed to be half naked in front of him. I feel sexy and desired like never before, the way he is looking at me makes me feel like the most beautiful women in the world. The expression on his face is one of pure rapture and it's almost all too much.

I reach up and grab the collar of his shirt, making sure not to touch his chest. He stiffens slightly but after a few seconds he is back to normal. Once I'm sure he's okay, I pull him down to me again and crush my lips to his. I feel his grin against my lips; his hands snake around my waist again and pull me closer to his chest, a low growl rumbles his chest. He pulls away slightly and takes my bottom lip between his teeth and bits, enticing another moan from me. I'm going crazy, my thoughts are hazy and the feels pulsing through my body are foreign and oh-so-amazing.

He suddenly pulls away and stands up. "What are you doing?" I pout.

He reaches down and lifts me off the couch and I yelp in surprise. "Christian!" I say, my voice a mix of shock and humor.

He looks down at me and smirks as he carries me bridal style to my room. "I'm moving us to your bedroom, we should be more comfortable there. We can move back to the couch later." He winks, his voice full of promise.

"Okay…" I nuzzle against his neck, his hypnotic scent assaults my senses. I kiss up his neck until his jaw then back down then I repeat the process, kissing up his neck as far as I can reach. Before I realize what is happening I'm dropped onto my bed and I bounce a couple of times. "Hey! You should have warned me!" I yell at him after the initial shock of the drop wears off.

"I dropped you onto a bed! It's not like I threw you out the window!" Christian defends himself with a chuckle.

"Still, I was caught off guard, I thought you were going to drop me on the floor," I tell him through my giggles, as I brace myself in my elbows so that I can get a better look at him.

"You wound me, Dr. Steele!" he responds in mock offense. "I can't believe you don't think I can lift you 20ft. You weight nothing, I could run a mile with you on my shoulder and not even break a sweat."

"I wasn't aware that I hurt your fragile male ego, Mr. Grey. I sincerely apologize," I tell him.

"Oh, I think it will take more than an apology to make up for my crushed ego," he says with a playful wince.

"I'm so sorry! I feel so bad! What can I possibly do to make it right?" I ask, desperately trying to hold back my laughter.

He looks down at me, his eyes suddenly growing dark and a mischievous smile spreads across his lips. He puts one of his knees on the bed and opens the first three buttons of his shirt then pulls it over his head. I suppress a moan when I see his sculpted chest. "It's going to take a lot; my ego is totally diminished. I don't know how I can possible go to work tomorrow and face anyone," he says melodramatically.

"Aww, poor baby," I say sarcastically.

He glares at me playfully then his hands wrap around my ankles and he pulls me down sharply causing me to fall down flat on the bed. A surprised screech escapes my lips and Christian's melodic laugh fills the room and I can't help but laugh with him. His hands travel up my legs and hitch them around his waist, then he leans down until his face is right at my exposed breasts and my laughter dies down.

He takes one of my nipples between his teeth and looks up at me as he gently bites down. He pulls away and kisses it then looks up at me. "What? No funny comment?" he challenges his eyebrow raised.

I roll my eyes at him and stick my tongue out. "Fuck you, Grey!"

"Isn't that what you are about to do, baby?" he says playfully then winks. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks; I just want to die of embarrassment.

He gazes down at me, his expression unreadable as his fingers move to my breast. His thumb slowly rolls the end of my nipple, elongating it. I moan, the sweet sensation spreads all over my body and to my groin. I clench my legs together, trying to ease some of the pressure that has built up. I am so wet. _Oh God!_ I think as his lips close around one of my nipples and when he tugs, I nearly convulse. He pulls away and blows on my now wet nipple and moves to my other breast and repeats the process.

"Frustrated are you? Let's see if we can make you cum like this," he whispers, his lips in the valley between my breasts. He continues his slow, sensual assault; my nibbles bear the delicious brunt of his deft fingers and lips. Every nerve ending in my body lights up and my body sing sings in sweet agony. _He just doesn't stop_. I bite my fingers to keep from screaming and my hands clench the sheets for dear life.

I arch my back, pushing my chest closer to him, it seems like I can't get close enough. His touch is like fire against my skin, and I'm too hot and too cold at the same time. I can't take anymore but I don't ever want him to stop. My breathing is shallow and my heart feels like it will jump out of my chest. I feel my legs stiffen and the muscles in my stomach start to tighten and I feel a building in the pit of my stomach. I throw my head back and just as I am about to fall over the edge he pulls away with a final nip on my breast.

"What?...No!" I whimper in frustration and lust.

"Shh," he sooths me and pulls away, tugging my jumpsuit down with him. He slides it down my stomach and legs, the slightly rough lace against my oversensitive skin is almost too much to bear. "Legs," he commands softly. I lift my legs up and he pulls my jumpsuit off and throws it down somewhere, but I'm too distracted to care where exactly it lands.

He takes my foot and angles it to him mouth and softly kisses the heel of my foot, while his other hand roams down my other leg. He follows the same path as his hand with his nose and leaves soft kisses down my leg, until they are both back on the bed and he's kneeling between them.

I'm on the bed, in nothing on but my soaked, black, lace panties. My lips are swollen and my hair is all over the bed. He looks down at me, like a man seeing the sun for the first time and my body lights up under his gaze. He undoes the buttons of his dress pants and slowly pulls them off, his eyes on me the whole time. He leans down over me and, grasping each of my ankles, quickly jerks my legs apart and crawls back onto the bed between them. He hovers over my and I squirm with need.

"Keep still, baby," he murmurs, and then leans down and kisses the inside of my thigh, trailing kisses up and over the thin material of my lace panties, kissing me. Oh…I can't keep still. How can I not move? I wiggle beneath him. "We're going to have to work on keeping you still, baby," he says against my thigh.

One of his hands runs up my thigh and he uses one of his fingers to trace the outline of my panties. I wiggle again, trying to get some much needed pressure, his finger is so close but still so far. Suddenly I feel a bite on my thigh and I yelp.

"Stay still!" He looks up at me playfully before kissing the area he just bit. His finger slips through the fine material and traces up and down my outer lips. _Thank God for that Brazilian!_ Is the only coherent thought that flows into my brain as he circles my entrance.

"You're so deliciously wet. God, I want you," he says as he pulls his finger out then quickly thrusts it back inside me, knocking all the air out of my lungs as he does it over and over. He palms my clit and I quickly feel myself building again, as he pushes inside me harder and harder. I cry out as his other hand reaches up to tug on my overly sensitive nipple. I throw my head back and arch into him, my eyes flutter close as the tension and feelings become too much to bear. My head is clouded, the only thoughts are of him… his lips…his fingers…Oh God!

I cry out as the he curls his finger up and hits a spot inside me that causes me to see stars. The feelings become all too much and I fall over the edge, screaming his name, God's name…my body feels like it's on fire and wave after wave of pleasure washes over, my body convulses, falling into a thousand pieces. I feel him kiss me deeply, his tongue in my mouth absorbing my cries.

After what seems like ages, I finally fall back to earth; my breath is ragged and my heart is trying to pound its way out of my chest. I looks up and see Christian looking down at me, a triumphant look in his eyes and a grin plastered on his face.

"Hi," I say after a few seconds.

"Hello," he responds, biting the corners of his mouth, trying not to laugh. Before I can say anything he leans down and captures my lips in another kiss. My fingers find their way into his hair as he shifts so that he's on top of me, resting between my legs again. He pulls away and rests his forehead against mine. "What are you doing to me?" he whispers against my lips.

"I could as you the same thing," I respond cheekily.

"Ever the comedian. I'm serious though, you are driving me crazy." He takes my hand in his and leads it down to his impressive hardness. "See what you do to me, Anastasia?" he whispers against my cheek and presses his erection on my hand. Instinctively I move my hand against it, palming him through his Calvin Kline boxers. A growl rubbles through his chest and he captures my mouth again. His tongue invades my mouth, capturing it in a sinful kiss as my hands explore.

I continue to palm him through his boxers then I reach my other hand down and pull the boxers down as far as I can reach. Once they are no longer in the way I wrap my hand around his cock. _Oh God! I can't even wrap my hand around it! What am I getting myself into?! _A cold sweat breaks out over my body. _Suck it up! Don't be a baby! _My subconscious screams out, as a form of encouragement.

I take a calming breath and gently tighten my grip on him and move my hand up and down cautiously. Christian's hips move along with my touch and a moan escapes his lips. "If you want this to last, baby, you better stop doing that," he says as he pulls away from me and sits up on his knees.

I look up at him, gloriously naked in front of me for the first time and all coherent thoughts go out the window. Michelangelo's David had nothing on him; his broad shoulders, his sculpted chest, his narrow hips, his... cock standing in all its glory. _Wow! It's huge! Good luck, _my subconscious says as I stare, wide eyed, at it.

"You aren't going to need these," he says, reaching for my panties and snapping me out of my daydream. He pulls them off my hips and I lift my legs so he can slide them off. Once he does he throws them behind him to going the growing pile of discarded clothing. He stares down at me for a few seconds, his eyes full of lust, then turns and gets of the bed. He leans down and grabs his pants and searches through the pockets. I stare up at him, confused as he pulls out his wallet and lets the pants drop to the floor.

He pulls his wallet open and searches through it for a few seconds before pulling out a foil packet. _Oh he was looking for a condom! Duh!_ I think to myself. He them moves back onto the bed and between my legs, spreading them farther apart. He pinches the top of the wrapper between his fingers and pull sit open. He knees up and pulls the condom onto his considerable length. _Holy shit…how is that supposed to fit inside me? _

He catches my eye and probably sees my worried expressions because he smirks down at me and says, "Don't worry, you expand, too."

Normally I would respond back with an equally sarcastic comment, but I'm at a loss for words as he leans down, his hands on either side of my head, so that he's hovering over me, staring down into my eyes. His expression suddenly changes and his jaw is clenched, eyes burning. "You really want to do this?" he asks softly.

I only nod at first but finally find my voice. "Please."

"Pull your knees up," he orders softly, and I'm quick to obey.

"Are you sure?" he asks once more, looking into my eyes, searching for any sign of hesitation.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure, Mr. Grey," I say reassuringly.

"Okay then, as you wish, Dr. Steele," he says as he positions the head of his erection at the entrance of my sex. His hands clasp either side of my face and he crushes his mouth onto mine at the same time as he slams into me.

"Argh!" I cry out against his lips as I feel a weird pinching sensation deep inside me as he rips through my virginity. He stills once he's fully inside me and pulls his lips away from mine to stare at me. His eyes are bright with ecstatic triumph and his mouth is slightly open, his breathing is harsh.

He groans. "God you are so tight. Are you okay?" he asks, his jaw clenched.

I nod, my eyes wide and my hands gripping his forearms for dear life. As the pain starts to subside I'm only left with a strange feeling of fullness. He stays still for a few seconds, allowing me to get accustomed to his size.

"I'm going to move now, baby," he breaths after a few seconds, his voice tight.

He takes a deep breath and eases out of me with exquisite slowness. He closes his eyes and groans, and thrust into me again. A small whimper escapes my lips and he stills.

"More?" he whispers his voice husky.

"Yes," I breathe. He eases himself out of me once more and slams back into me, this time I'm prepared and I groan, as my body stretches around him…Oh this is heavenly, I want more.

"Again?" he breathes.

"Yes," I plead.

He moves again, but this time he doesn't stop. He shifts onto his elbows and I feel his weight pressing down on me, holding me down. He moves slowly at first, easing himself out then slamming back in, but as my body gets accustomed to the alien feeling, my hips move to meet his tentatively.

Once he feels that I am comfortable he picks up the pace and starts to move faster. I moan and he goes faster, he pounds on, picking up speed and setting a merciless, relentless rhythm and I keep up, meeting him thrust for thrust. He grasps my head between his hands and pulls me into another kiss. He bites my lower lips and swallows my moans. He shifts slightly and the new position causes him to hit a spot inside me that sends me reeling. He keeps pounding into me, hitting that spot over and over again, and I feel something building deep inside me, like before.

"Oh, please," I beg him, not sure that my body can take much more of this; I'm wind so tight, craving release.

"I want you sore, baby," he murmurs as he continues his punishing pace. "Every time you move tomorrow, I want you to be reminded that I've been here. Only me. You are mine."

I tighten my legs around his waist, causing him to go deeper and I start to stiffen. My body quivers and bows; a cold sweat breaks out over my body as the pressure in the pit of my stomach gets stronger. _Oh God!..._I never thought it would feel like this….never realized it could be this good. All coherent thoughts have left my brain and I'm like a babbling idiot…there's only sensation…only him…only me…oh please!

"Come for me, Ana," he whispers and bites the area right under my ear, and I unravel, exploding around him, calling out his name as I splinter into a million pieces under him. I vaguely feel him thrust into me once more, calling out my name, then stiffen as he comes and empties himself inside me.

I lay panting, trying to slow my breathing down, my heart feels like it will jump out of my chest any second now and my thoughts are still all gambled, _so much for an Ivy League education, _I think to myself. I take a few calming deep breaths and I blink my eyes openand see that Christian has his forehead pressed against mine, eyes close and his breathing ragged.

After a few seconds he blinks his eyes open and he gazes down at me, his eyes still dark but soft. He leans down and kisses my forehead then slowly pulls out of me.

"Ooh." I wince at the slight pain before I can stop myself.

"Did I hurt you?" Christian asks as he pushes of me and lies down beside me, his head propped up on one elbow. He rests one of his hands across my stomach and I

"Not as badly as I thought," I respond, grinning up at him. I stretch beside him, feeling loose-limbed, my bones like jelly, but I'm relaxed, completely relaxed like never before. I grin up at him; I can't stop smiling, now I know what all the fuss is about. Why the hell did I wait this long? The pleasure was incredible. Coming apart at the seams, twice! His lips, his hands, and the way he moved…oh, I would love to do that again.

"What are you thinking?" he asks, looking down at me, a concerned look etched on his perfect face.

"Nothing," I respond too quickly, a blush colors my cheeks.

"You are biting your lips. Tell me!" His eyes are intense, probing, demanding even. I grin up at him impishly. He looks glorious with is tousled hair and burning narrowed, gray eyes, and serious expression.

"I'd like to do that again," I confess. His serious expression falters and a look of relief crosses his face. Was he really worried?

"Would you now, Dr. Steele?" he murmurs dryly, then a Cheshire cat grin appears on his face.

I nod, as he leans down and kisses the corner of my mouth.

"I would love to do it again, but I don't have any more condoms," he says sadly, disappointment clearly evident in his voice. "Unless you are on birth control?" he asks, his voice suddenly hopeful.

"Technically I am, but I can't remember the last time I took it," I respond honestly.

He looks down at me in disbelief and shakes his head. "Who doesn't take their birth control?"

"Who only has one condom in their wallet?" I respond.

He plops down flat on the bed and lets out a melodic laugh. "Good point well made, as ever, Ana," he says and looks up at me, a look of awe in his eyes, before pulling me onto him so that I am half laying on his chest. My head is resting at the crook of his neck and one of my legs is between his. He has one arm above my head and his other arm is draped around my waist, one of my arms is resting on top of his, careful not to touch his chest.

I nuzzle closer into his neck, breathing in his musky scent and let out a yawn.

"Are you tired?" he asks, then kisses the top of my head.

"Exhausted, I've been up since 1 a.m., when one of my patients had another stroke, while recovering from the surgery for his first stroke," I tell him.

"So what did you do?" Christian asks, his voice full of genuine interest. He shifts and pulls the duvet and sheets from underneath him and throws them over us.

"I was the only person from neuro on call, so I had to stabilize him and that was all I could do, we couldn't take him back in for another surgery he would die. So after stabilizing him, I sat with his mother and let her cry for about an hour. By then I was too depressed to go back to sleep so I went down to the ER and helped."

"It must be very interesting working in the ER," Christian says.

I yawn again. "It's usually just drunk homeless men trying to hit on me." I laugh.

"They hit on you?" Christian asks, his body suddenly stiffens.

"Chill, I can handle myself, and we have security," I say trying to calm him down.

"Still, you shouldn't be subjected to that," he says as he runs his fingers up and down my naked back. "You have lovely skin," he whispers into my hair.

"Thank you, and it's just part of the job. But you wouldn't know, Mr. I-work- in- a-fancy-shmancy-office." I laugh.

"It's Mr. I-own-a-fancy-shmancy-office, to you."

"Oh yes, how could I forgot? I have the world's most eligible bachelor in my bed." I giggle.

"I thought I was the second most eligible bachelor?" Christian jokes.

"Well, you are, and given the option I'd much rather have Justin Bieber here, but you did fine," I say dismissively.

"Just fine, Dr. Steele? That's not the impression I got when you were screaming my name." he laughs.

"You are so funny," I respond, my voice dripping in sarcasm, desperately trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Thank you, baby," he says sweetly and kisses my forehead. He shifts and rests his head on a pillow, moving me closer to him. I hear him yawn.

"Are you tired?" I ask, mirroring his words from earlier.

"I am, not all of us have the luxury of taking a three hour long nap," he says.

"A three hour long nap which you so rudely woke me up from," I snap back at him.

He chuckles. "You are the most challenging woman I have ever met. Now go to sleep," he says and swats my behind.

"Ow!" I yelp in surprise causing him to laugh louder. He shifts to get off the bed. "What are you doing?" I ask, the fear that he's getting up to leave grips me.

"I'm going to turn off the lights so we can sleep," he says, looking down at me.

"I got it, you don't have to get up," I say as I reach for my IPhone on the bedside table. Christian gets back into bed as I turn off the TV and lights then set my IPhone down. He holds the covers up so I can easily slide back underneath them, I get back into my spot and press my cold feet against his thigh.

"Whoa! You are freezing," he says and wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead.

"I'll be fine in a couple of minutes," I tell him and tilt my head up, I pucker my lips, silently asking for a kiss.

He presses his lips against mine softly and pulls away all too soon. "Goodnight, baby," he says through a yawn.

"Goodnight, Christian," I answer and cuddle into him closer, closing my eyes, feeling safe and comfortable in his arm and drift into an exhausted slumber.

**So ladies? How was it? I hope you all enjoyed it, let me know what you think, this is my first ever sex scene and I tried to keep close to the book but I did put my own twist on it. Please review, favorite and follow and check out the Pinterest page! Look for the Christmas story tomorrow, I should be posting it around 9pm. See you very soon!**

**-Lily **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your amazing reviews on the last chapter. I really loved reading them. I also loved your reaction to the Christmas special. I am currently working on the next chapter and I should have it up very soon. I got a little (a lot) drunk on this New Year's, I think I still have a hangover. I blame Karina and Enoska. Anyways this chapter is very short, my shortest chapter actually. But I wanted to give you guys something and this will start the drama part of the story. It has been perfect and happy for far too long, time to mix things up. Please don't kill me!**

**P.S. Carol, you are amazing! I love your reviews and comments on the Pictures. Yes, Sawyer is a hotty, and let me know how knitting is working out for you!**

**P.S.S. To that very mean 'guest' reviewer, who continues to bash me and my story, I delete your reviews, because quite frankly they are disrespectful. If you have any suggestions on my ****story**** please feel free to log in and talk to me, don't hide under 'guest' and say such atrocious things. I will take my story and my life in whatever direction I want and if you don't like it please don't read, I am sick and tired of having to delete your reviews. I also don't appreciate that you are commenting on my private life, I shared a negative personal experience on here, it doesn't give you the right to be mean and distasteful about it. This is the first and only time I will be addressing a negative guest reviewer and I apologize to all my other reviewers who have been nothing but amazing, but this person just crossed the line. **

**Please review, fav, and follow, also check out the Pinterest page.**

**-lily**

**CPOV**

"Goodnight, Christian," she whispers as she nuzzles her face into my neck.

I feel her eyes close and her body relax as she falls asleep. _She really falls asleep quickly, _I think to myself. I adjust myself so that I'm able to stare at her face. She looks so peaceful sleeping, her beautiful, baby blue eyes are closed, hiding her emotions from me and her long lashes are fanned out on her cheek. Her full lips are slightly parted and swollen, probably from all the times I've kissed her. Her perfect eyebrows are relaxed and I kiss her soft forehead.

I nuzzle my face into her hair and take in her scent. She smells of jasmine, strawberries and sex; I've never smelled anything better and the scent alone has my cock twitching back to life. I try to calm down but it's very challenging with her naked body pressed against mine. Normally I would be freaked out with someone's body pressed against my chest, but with her I just want her closer. She is like a healing balm, every time she touches me I feel a small part of me coming to life.

Tonight was by far the best night of my life. I've never had vanilla sex before; I always assumed it was boring, like Elena said. But she was so wrong; sex with Ana has been the best experience of my life. The way her fingers tugged my hair, the way she felt around me, so wet and tight. The best part of the night was when she said my name. The way if fell off her beautiful lips like a prayer, I nearly lost it. Her soft moans sent me reeling, I have no idea how I lasted as long as I did, I wanted to combust in pleasure the second I was in her.

I look down at her body, the sheets clinging to her every curve; she is by far the most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on. I have no idea how she was able to stay a virgin for so long. That thought immediately causes me to tense as I remember why she was a virgin, up until a few hours ago. The story she told was horrifying, what kind of man would lay his hands on a woman like her, a sweet, smarty, intelligent, and stunning woman.

I wanted to get up, fly to New York and show that limp dick what it feels like to be abused, and make sure no one ever found his body. I couldn't handle the way she was shaking while she was telling the story. Her eyes were glazed over and her face was pale, like she was reliving that moment. It pained me to see her in such a state, when she is normally so lively and happy.

I make a mental note to have Welch look up Maxwell Anderson, if that motherfucker thinks he can get away with what he did, he doesn't know who he's dealing with. What kind of man would hit a woman like Ana?

_Isn't that what you are planning to do? _The dark voice in my head pipes up. Suddenly it is as if my heart stops, I can't show Ana the playroom, after everything she's been through I could never take her in there. I couldn't, after seeing that look of complete and utter helplessness on her face, I will never make her feel that way. I can't.

_So what? Isn't that what you wanted from her from the beginning? To have her kneeling in your playroom, awaiting your command? _The voice snares.

I can't imagine Ana in my playroom. She is too pure, too beautiful to be tainted by me. I look down at her sleeping form. I can't do that to her, I won't do that to her, I resolve.

_So you'll leave her? _The voice asks, even it sounds a little sad at the concept.

I look down at her again, and it feels like my heart is going to be ripped out of my chest. She is so pure and she's been through so much already. She deserves better than a monster like me, who's incapable of love. She deserves love, and happiness, someone who will marry her and want to have kids. Not some cold, heartless monster who likes to beat brown haired girls like her in my playroom.

I feel sick to my stomach as I think about having to leave. I'm not going to be any good for her. What good would I do? Leading her on for god knows how long than breaking her heart. A heart that is so pure and loving. She deserves someone like her friend Nick, who will love her more than life itself. I won't be able to provide that for her. Elena was right, love isn't for people like us; I don't love, the only people I love are my family and I keep hurting them, over and over again. I haven't been to Sunday dinner in two months. Ana deserves better than that, better than me. I look done at her again, my eyes become blurry. I raise my hand and wipe my eye, surprised by the dampness I find there. I don't cry! I haven't cried since I was four and now I'm crying for this the more reason to leave, I'm already too attached and she'll find out who I really am and hate me. She'll see me as a monster. I want to he that guy with her, the one who shows up with pizza, the one who goes to Toys-R-Us, and plays with kids, but that's not who I really am. This way she will never have to find out. I will forever be that guy to her, in her eyes I am him; I can't stand to see her when she finds out that I'm not.

**APOV**

I blink my eyes open and immediately close them. The sun is blazing through my open windows, I groan and roll over. The action stretching out my sore muscles. I groan again, _Why am I so sore?_ I think to myself. Suddenly last night's events rush through my mind my eyes immediately snap open.

I look to the other side of the bed and see that it's empty. _Where could Christian be? Probably in the kitchen eating soggy cereal, _I think to myself. I get out of bed and walk to the dresser to grab a robe. I walk out of my room and head towards the living room. "Christian," I call out.

There is no response and I start to get nervous. "Christian!" I call again, heading towards the kitchen. Again no response. I enter the kitchen and look around for any sign of Christian. My eyes stop when I see a folded piece of paper on the island. My heart drops and a lump forms in my throat as I pick up the paper and start reading.

**I'm sorry! I had to! Don't be mad, but this is a very Christian thing to do. I want to keep it true to the books and Christian would not have changed that quickly. He is getting scared at the intensity of this feelings for Ana and after the story she just told him he feels even more protective of her. And as always, he sees the worst in him. Don't worry, Dr. Steele is not going to take this laying down. Let me know what you think ladies, I can't wait to hear how you guys bash on Christian. Please review, fav, follow, and PM me with any questions, suggestions or concerns, or if you just want to chat about the story, I would be more than happy to talk with you. Check out the Pinterest page!**

**Lots of love**

**-Lily**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey everyone! How are you guys doing? Thank you all for your amazing reviews and PMs on the last chapter, I was not expecting such a response. I love how all of you guys immediately assume that Ana isn't going to let him get away with it, and you are right ladies! This chapter is another short one, I apologize. Next chapter will be the usual 8k+ words, I think I spoiled you guys. I wanted you to see Ana's response to all of this before their confrontation. This way you will see both sides of the story. The last chapter of the Christmas special is going to go up this weekend and it is extremely long, which is another reason this chapter is shorter. **

** Anyways, please enjoy Ana's reaction, it was a very sad chapter to write and I kind of got teary eyed as I wrote it and I hope that you guys will see how Ana is affected by Christian's decision to leave. I put a few more pictures on the Pinterest board, so check it out. Please review, follow, and Favorite. **

**-Lilly**

I look down at the elegant scrip on the paper and my eyes blur with tears as I read the letter.

_Anastasia,_

_ I am so sorry for leaving, but I can't do this. I'm not the kind of man you need. You need someone who can give you everything you deserve, someone who is romantic and willing to make a future with you; and I can't do that. You are the most amazing women I have ever met, you are beautiful, intelligent, and innocent; you have turned my world upside down and I can't tint you with my darkness. You are too good, and after everything you have been through I am the last thing you need. I know that leaving now is probably the worst thing I can do, and I hope that you will see it from my point of view and find it in your heart to forgive me. This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do; I am so sorry. _

_ CG _

I read the note over and over, trying to understand why he left. No matter how many times I read it I still don't understand who he could leave. None of the reasons he give are valid or make any sense what so ever. I suddenly feel vulnerable, I trusted this man. I told him about the darkest moment of my life, I let him into my home, into my heart, into me for God's sake! How could I be so stupid? I let myself be fooled by a handsome face and I just let myself go. I should have know better than this. _You are so stupid!_ I chastise myself.

I crumple up the letter and rush to the bathroom. I need a hot shower; I feel so dirty and used. How could he do something like this? My breaths start to come in short gasps and tears are running down my face, almost burning my cheeks. I slam the door of my room shut and lean against it, grasping my chest. I try to take deep breaths to calm myself down but I can't regain control. I slide down the door and put my head between my knees, trying to force myself to calm down. The last thing I need is a panic attack.

How could I be so stupid? Of course sex was all he would want, why else would a man like him be interested in a women like me? I'm damaged goods, why would he settle for a girl like me? I am so, so stupid; I should have known that after Max, I should have never let him in. I thought he would be different; he made me feel so special and safe and cherished. The whole weekend, all the jokes we shared, all the stories we told, just a ploy to get into my pants, and I let him.

This is my fault, I was the easy slut who let a guy I barely know take my virginity. I deserve this, I should have been more careful. But he was so good, he knew all the right things to say, all the right things to do. My breathing starts to stabilize and the tears slow down, my sadness starts to die down only to be replaced by anger. "_You need someone who can give you everything you deserve_" damn right I do. Who the fuck does he think he is? That whole letter was complete bullshit, everything was a lie. Every joke, every kiss, everything.

I jump off the floor and rush to my bed. I strip the whole bed, taking the covers and sheets off, even the pillow covers. I throw them all in a pile on the floor and get new ones out of the closet. I quickly make my bed and move the discarded sheets to the door. I'm going to throw them away, I don't want any reminder of last night. After I finish I walk into the bathroom and strip off the robe, careful not to look in the mirror, the last thing I need right now is to see my tear stained face or used body.

I turn the water on high and wait until it is near scalding. I get into the shower and immediately start scrubbing my skin. I want all traces of him off me. My tears quickly mix with the water as I wash my hair. By the time I finish the shower my skin is raw, I step out of the shower wipe the steam off the mirror. I stand there, in the middle of the bathroom by myself and just stare at myself in the mirror, trying to see if I look any different.

My whole face is swollen and red. My eyes are the worst, the red makes the blue in my eyes look extremely bright and my lips are swollen. Looking at myself, I feel a little better. I don't know what I was expecting, but I thought I would look different and it's comforting to see that I haven't changed, at least physically. I can't say much about everything else.

I take a deep, cleansing breath. I have survived worst, I can go to work and save lives. I don't need a man to make me feel better about myself. That's it, no more men, all they do is lie and cheat and hurt me. I have work and my friends, and Anthony. I can do this, move on again as if nothing has happened. I push my feelings aside and start to get ready for the day.

I go through my usual morning routine on autopilot. I dry my hair and style it, then put on makeup, making sure to put on a little more than usual to hide the redness. Once I'm done I leave the bathroom and head towards my closet. I need an outfit that will boost my self-confidence a little, because right now it's in the toilet.

I rummage through the closet for what feels like hours until I finally find something I can wear. I pick out a blue and white, stripped button down blouse and a navy blue skirt. I tuck the shirt into the skirt and make sure that the band of the skirt rests just at my waist. I match the outfit with the red stilettos I got on sale from Niemen's last week and a matching red Prada bag. I leave my hair down and wavy. Before I leave my closet I grab my favorite knee length trench coat. The weather has started to get chilly, so better safe than sorry.

I walk out into the kitchen, feeling numb. I decide against breakfasting, knowing that my stomach can't handle it. Standing in the middle of my apartment I look around for something to do. I don't have to be at work until 12pm and it's only 10am, and I can't have any more overtime; the hospital doesn't allow us to work more than 90 hours a week. As I look around something on the coffee table catches my eye. The books that Christian gave me! I walk up to the table and grab the books, half of my brain says to throw them into the trash can, but my inner bookworm can't bring herself to listen.

Suddenly and idea pops into my head. I think that I deserve a face to face explanation for what he did. I grab the books and put them back into the box and grab my keys. I leave the house determined to get some type of explanation from him. He's going to tell me why the hell he left, I deserve more than a stupid letter. I don't care if I'm interrupting him at work, he owes me an explanation.

The elevator ride down to the garage is agonizingly slow, finally it stops and I am able to get out, practically running to my car. I get into the car and put the books and my bag in the passenger seat. As I pull out of the garage all I can think is, _if you think you can get away with this Christian Grey then you don't know who you just messed with._

** So what do you guys think? I know it was kind of sad, and Ana is in a vulnerable place right now. I don't remember who suggested that she goes to GEH and confronts Christian but thank you, it was a great idea! Ana is going to show Christian whose boss! See you guys soon! Please review, follow, fave, and all that jazz!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, everyone! Wow! I was not expecting such a reaction to the last chapter. Many of you love the fact that Ana is going to confront Christian, which is great. What's the fun in a submissive Ana? Unless it's inside the playroom ;). Anyways, thank you all so much for your lovely comments and PMs. I love some of the suggestions that you all made. Whoever the guest was that reminded me of Nicks visit, thank you so much! I completely forgot and it plays so well into the story, so shout out to you! I was going to make this chapter super long but I realized that I should just put it out a little faster, this is still in Ana's POV and it's the confrontation, the next chapter will be Christian's chance to redeem himself, since he really messed up bad. This chapter is longer than the last two, so hopefully it makes you all a little happy. They next chapter should be up shortly. **

**Please follow, favorite, review and check out the Pinterest board! **

**-Lily**

As I drive through Seattle rush hour traffic I can't help but lose some of my earlier confidence. I've never been one for confrontation, I usually just avoid the problem. _So you are going to move, again? _My subconscious snares at me.

I sigh, I can't keep running away from all my problems. I have to face him at some point, especially if he is a benefactor for my research project. I have to let him know that what he did was wrong. How could he leave after last night? I trusted him, and he just ran away.

The thought adds vigor to my anger and some of my confidence comes back. He lied to me. Everything he did was a lie; every word, every kiss, everything he did was to get into my pants. I thought he was different, I thought that I had finally found the right person for me, but he chickens out. I think back to his note and the only thing I get out of it is that he's a coward.

If he really had feelings for me then he wouldn't have left; him being 'not good enough' is complete bullshit. _What if he's telling the truth?_ My subconscious pipes up again. _He seemed to really like you, what if he really is trying to protect you?_

I shake my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts, of course he didn't have feelings for me, right? Maybe he did, why else would he spend the past week sending me flowers? Why would he send me those books? Or spend the whole weekend with me? Suddenly realization rushes through me like a tsunami. He feels the same way towards me as I feel about him.

That doesn't change what he did, though. He may be scared or something but it doesn't excuse what he did. I sigh again, more confused than when I left my apartment. This traffic is giving me way too much time to think. I reach over and turn on the radio, just as the song starts to play it's interrupted by my cars Bluetooth. I look down at the screen and see Nicks name flashing.

I press the button on my steering wheel and the ringing stops. "Hey, sweet baby." Nick's deep voice comes blaring through the speakers.

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry," I tell him as realization sweeps through me. "I completely forgot! I was so distracted, but I did watch you last night," I say in a vain attempt to apologize. I can't believe I forgot our Scandal night, I'll blame Christian for that, too. What's one more offense?

He sighs. "It's okay. I fell asleep too, so you're forgiven," he reassures me.

"Why do you think I fell asleep? I could have been out on a date or something," I retort, slightly offended.

"Were you on a date?" he asks, in mock annoyance.

"No," I reluctantly respond.

"I know you too well, babe. I have good news," he says excitedly.

"You blocked your first ever goal?! I'm so proud of you, Nicky!"

"Listen, woman! I don't need your sass today. I managed to get the weekend off so I'll be there later today."

"Are you serious?" I practically yell in excitement.

"Yup! Can you pick me up from the airport or do I have to take a cab?" he asks.

"I can't pick you up, I'm working tonight, but I'll be off Saturday and Sunday, and I can get someone to cover my shift until Tuesday. When is your game?"

"It's Monday night, so that'll work out perfectly. I'll bring dinner to the hospital and we can eat in an on-call room like old times," he says, his voice nostalgic.

"I can't wait! I've missed you so much, Nick," I say my voice trembling at the end. Tears fill my eyes. I don't know if it's the fact that he will be here today and I'll get to see him for the first time in months, or it's the Christian situation but tears start to fall down my cheeks.

"Are you okay, Annie?" he asks, his voice full of concern.

I clear my throat. "I'm good, I'm just so happy you're coming."

"Are you sure that's it?" he asks, the concern in his voice growing. I can just picture him now, his eyebrows scrunched together, and his lips pressed into a hard line.

"I'm good, really, I think I'm just about to get my period." I lie.

"I'll bring some cannoli's from that bakery on 53rd," he reassures me.

"Oh, that would be so good." I moan.

"What did I tell you about making those noises, God damn it!" he yells at me.

I laugh, forgetting all my worries. "What time does your flight get here?"

"I'll be there at about 7:30. I'll just have the cab driver bring me to the hospital. I should be there at around 8pm. Just order in, or we could go out if you have time."

"We'll go out. I could call Enoska and Karina and we could all go to The Mile High Club," I tell him.

"The Mile High Club?" he laughs. "Whoever the owner is they have a really great sense of humor."

"The restaurant is amazing. And I'm sure they named it that because it's the highest restaurant in the city. Get your head out of the gutter," I scold him as I turn into the parking of GEH.

"Yeah right, I'd bet my life that the guy that named it wasn't thinking of the height of the building. But anyways, let's not invite Karina and Enoska, because they are going to want to go out, and I want to catch up." He tells me.

"You have a point, we'll invite them tomorrow, then. I have to go, Nick, have a safe flight and call me as soon as you land," I insist.

"No problem, baby girl. I'll see you in a few hours, love you," he says.

"Love you, too," I say before hanging up. I take a couple of deep breaths then grab the books and get out of the car. I walk around to the front entrance and pull the huge glass doors open. Stepping into the vast, white lobby, I get the same nervous feeling I did the first time I came here.

I walk over to the blond receptionist behind the sandstone desk. She looks up and gives me a warm, professional smile. "Hello, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Dr. Steele. I need to see Mr. Grey," I tell her.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asks.

Shit! I didn't think of that. How am I supposed to get through here? "No I don't, but I need to see him. I need to return these books," I say lamely. Eight years of Ivy League education and I can't even talk my way into a building.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Steele, but no one sees Mr. Grey without an appointment," she tells me.

_Think, Steele, you have to get in there,_ I look around the lobby hoping for inspiration when I spot Taylor walking into the building. Jackpot! "Excuse me," I tell the receptionist.

"Dr. Steele-"she starts to say but I'm not listening as I run towards Taylor. He turns when he hears my heels clicking against the floor.

"Dr. Steele? Is everything alright?" he asks, looking at me, his eyes filled with genuine concern.

"Yes, everything is great," I lie. "I just need to return these books to Mr. Grey, and the receptionist won't let me through because I don't have an appointment," I tell him in one breath.

His brow furrows in confusion. "Mr. Grey and I are just about to go to your apartment. He's in the elevator as we speak," he informs me, his pale blue eyes search mine for any clue as to what is going on.

_Taylor doesn't know what happened!_ The rational part of my brain screams out. I'm pretty sure that he isn't used to being kept in the dark. Why did Christian not tell him?

"Why would you be going to my apartment?" I manage to say after a few seconds.

"If I can speak frankly, Dr. Steele?" Taylor asks.

"I wouldn't expect anything else, and please call me Ana," I tell him.

"Well, Ana, when it comes to you Mr. Grey is irrational. I have worked for him for a long time and I have never seen him act the way he has been acting the past couple of weeks. But this morning it's as if he went back to the Christian of before, worst even. I don't know what happened between you two, and it is not my place to know, but he isn't taking it well," he says in a fatherly voice.

Taylor just told me everything I need to know without actually telling me anything. His words only cause more questions to raise. What does he mean he's been acting different? What isn't he taking well? Questions flood my brain and before I can ask Taylor a single one I feel the familiar electric pull.

Before I can stop myself I find that I've turned to face the elevators. When I see him all the air leaves my lungs. He is dressed in a black, fitted, suit and crisp, white button down shirt. He strides over gracefully to where Taylor and I are standing, his eyes locked on mine. As he gets closer I'm able to take a better look at him. He face is pale and there are dark circles under his eyes. Maybe his letter was true? Maybe he does have feelings for me and he's just scared, I mean I'm scared, too.

His bright, hypnotic, gray eyes, which are usually filled with so much emotions seem hollow and lost. They bore into mine, holding my gaze until he is only a few feet away from me.

"Ana…" he whispers, his voice caresses my name. My name hangs between us for a few seconds before I finally regain the ability to talk.

"Mr. Grey," I respond, my voice sounding much colder than I had intended, or thought possible.

He blinks in shock, taken back by my harsh tone. Well, what else did he think would happen after he took my virginity and left? Did he think I would run into his arms and forgive him because he seems a little sorry?

I take another deep breath and let all my anger and hurt and disappointment show. "I brought back your books, I don't want anything from you anywhere near me." I hold the books out to him, urging him to take them.

"Ana, please, let me explain," he pleads, his voice soft, full of sorrow.

That sets me off. "Explain what, Christian? Explain why you led me on for two weeks? Why you made me fall for you? Why you made me trust you? Only so you could get into my bed and leave? I thought you were different, I thought I met someone I could finally trust, someone that wouldn't hurt me. But I guess I was wrong, and that's my fault, I'm the one who let you in. And you know what the worst part is? The part of this whole mess that really gets to me? It's the fact that you sat there on my couch last night, as I told you about the scariest, darkest, most frightening moment of my life and you just used it to get what you wanted. You are a sorry excuse of a man and I regret ever meeting you. So keep your explanation, and keep your books, I want nothing to do with you. I hope you have a great day, Mr. Grey. Bye, Taylor." I turn around after one last look at Christian's shocked expression.

I walk away, as fast as I can before the tears fall down my face. Before I can reach the door I feel a large hand grip mine. I immediately stop and turn around, only to come face to face with Christian. "You aren't leaving until you let me explain, please," he says, his eyes boring into mine. He looks lost and vulnerable, very much like Anthony did when they first brought him into the hospital.

"Let me go, Christian." I try to pull my hand away.

"Please, I know I don't deserve it, but please hear me out. I've been a mess this whole morning. What I did was so stupid, and you must hate me, I hate me, but please, let me try to make this right," he chokes out.

_Hear him out, you'll regret it otherwise, _my subconscious encourages me. I look at him for a few seconds. "You have five minutes then I'm leaving," I tell him.

A small smile appears on his face and for a second I forget why I'm mad at him. He really is the most beautiful man on the planet.

"Can we go to my office? This is really not the most private place to have this conversation," he asks.

"I'm not going to your office. I want neutral territory." I say sternly.

He looks around the lobby, bewildered, then turns back to me. "We can go into the security office. It's on this floor," he explains.

"Okay."

He begins to walk, leading me towards the security office. His hand is still holding mine and I briskly pull my hand away from his. I immediately regret it when I see the hurt look on his face. He quickly catches himself and composes himself again, his face going back to the usual impassive expression he always has. How much is he hiding under that mask of confidence?

When we reach the office he opens the door and asks the three security guards in the room to leave. They efficiently do as he says, nodding at me as they leave. I walk into the room, feeling like I'm walking into a lions den. Christian walks back towards the door, kicking it closed and leaning against it. He stares at me for a few seconds, his face impassive, but his eyes tell a different story. They are full of sorrow and sadness, and another familiar expression that I can't quite put my finger on.

Before I can say anything I hear the clicking of the door lock and Christian takes a deep breath and walks over to me.

**What's going to happen in the security office? I hope you all enjoyed that last chapter. I wanted Ana to confront Christian, but still hold her pride and dignity, her going in there and making a huge scene would not have done either of them any good. This way Christian sees how much he hurt her, and Ana still comes out like a lady. Now onto Christian's explanation, let's see how he gets out of this mess. Men they never think :/ **

**See you guys very soon, I'm typing as fast as my tiny fingers will allow!**

**-Lily**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey everyone! I just want to start off by saying that I am finally on track with my updates, I have been updating about every week for the last three weeks and hopefully it stays that way. Fingers crossed ladies, I am writing as fast as I can, I'm back in school now, but thanks to the snow that has been ravaging New England, I have more than enough time to write. Anyways, thank you all so much for your kind reviews on the last chapter. Wow I can't believe that I am already 24 chapters and almost a year into this story. I never thought I would last this long, to be honest, and I really appreciate all the support that all of you have shown for my story. I can't thank you enough. **

**Okay onto the story! Christian's apology, the stupid man has to make it up to her somehow, there's no way he can make it worst, or is there? For all the Nick fan's…I'm sorry but we will be seeing a different side of him. It was very hard to write this chapter because it shows how people grow apart and sometimes things can never go back to being the way they were, it's very sad but it's a fact of life. Ana is a strong girl, she can defiantly whip these boys into shape. Speaking of whips, one more week to go before the movie! How many of you have already bought your ticket? I'm actually going with my friends and I can't wait! Okay I'm getting side tracked; on with the story. Please follow, favorite, review, and check out the new pictures on the Pinterest board, link in my bio. **

**Enjoy!**

**-Lily**

He takes a few steps towards me and for some reason I feel the need to turn and run the other way. He has an air of dominance around him, and I square my shoulders, bracing myself for a fight. What happens next catches me completely off guard.

He stops about a foot away from me and grabs my waist, pulling me towards him. Before I know it, his lips make contact with mine and I'm paralyzed. This is so unexpected that I just don't know how to react. His lips move against mine and I can't help but give in, the way he kisses me takes my breath away. Before I know it I let my body mold to his and my lips move against him, showing him all my hurt, anger and disappointment.

When he finally pulls away it's like a bucket of cold water has been dumped on me and before I can stop myself I feel my hand connect with his cheek. I feel the sting of the slap on my palm and I'm immediately shocked at my actions. I pull my hand close to my chest and rub my now sore palm.

Christian stares at me wide eyed, his face a mixture of surprise and hurt. His hand goes to the spot on his cheek where my hand made contact and he rubs it in disbelief.

"Is this what you meant by explaining?!" I yell. "You are sick! What would possibly make you think that I want you to kiss me? I barely want to be in the same city as you!"

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me. I have a lot to apologize for," he says lamely.

"Don't even try to apologize. I don't want to hear it. You are disgusting, after everything that happened you think I would want you? I'm sorry to break it to you, Mr. Grey, but not everyone wants you." I turn and head towards the door.

As I reach the door I feel his hand grasp mine. I turn around and I see red, I quickly pull my hand away from his. "Do not touch me," I say through clenched teeth.

"Ana, please, just give me a chance to explain." He pleads.

"I gave you a chance to explain and you just took advantage of it. I'm not giving you anymore chances. You obviously don't respect me enough to have a conversation. I'm leaving and if you touch me again I will scream," I tell him. I turn around again and walk back to the door, hopefully for the last time.

I unlock the door and I'm about to pull it open when I hear Christian speak. "I was scared, okay? I was terrified. You were laying there, asleep, looking like an angle and after what you told me I felt so guilty. You are so trusting, innocent, loving, everything I'm not and I didn't want to taint you with my fucked up-ness. With you I was a completely different guy, and I was scared that you'd see the real me and realize that I'm not that guy you got to know. That I'm not the guy that made you mac-and-cheese, or the guy that goes to Toys-R-Us. I couldn't live with myself if I lead you on. I know that I shouldn't have left and I'm so sorry about that and I feel so guilty about it. I spent all day snapping at every one and I was just about to go to you apartment to beg for you to forgive me. I messed up and I shouldn't have left, because I want to be that guy and you make me that guy. I want you, I want to do the girlfriend thing and I want to be carefree, and I've been miserable all day. I know that it will take time for you to trust me but I will do anything at this point," he ends, his voice pleading.

I stand at the door, paralyzed, what am I supposed to do? Ever fiber in my being wants me to forgive him, I want to run up to him and throw myself into his arms and never let him go. But I won't, I know that he's sincere but what he did was wrong and I'm to going to forgive him that easy.

I take a deep breath and turn to face him again. The look on his face floors me. His eyes are dark and pleading and his face looks…sad, there is no other way of describing it. "What you did was horrible, Christian. I understand that you were scared or whatever, but it doesn't excuse what you did. I'm sorry Christian, but it's going to take a lot more than that for me to even consider forgiving you. I don't trust you and I can't get into a relationship with someone I don't trust." I tell him, "I need time."

"I understand, but I'm going to get you to forgive me. And I'm a man of my word, Dr. Steele," he says confidently.

"I have no doubt, Mr. Grey." I tell him. I walk up to him and give him a quick peck on the cheek before I had for the door for the third time. Thankfully this time I'm able to make it out without incident. As I walk out of the security office I turn and give one last wave before I leave. He lifts his hand up and a small, sad smile adorns his face.

I walk across the lobby and I'm out the door without incident. I quickly get into my car and lock the doors. I feel like screaming! What did I get myself into? I came here with the intention of never seeing him again and now I'm going to let him try to win me back? _Pathetic,_ I think to myself. I rest my head against the steering wheel and take a few deep breaths.

_He wants to date me!_ The though suddenly pops into my head. He went from apparently never having a girlfriend to wanting to date me in less than 24 hours? What happened? _You happened, idiot! He realized that he can be 'normal' with you, _my very proud subconscious states smugly. _But you have to make him work for it_, she adds.

For the first time today a genuine smile tugs at my lips. He really wants me, but now I have the advantage, I'm in control now, the thought is comforting. I'm going to make him work so hard for it that he will regret ever thinking of leaving. I need to make a stance on this, I give in now and forgive him, when we do have a relationship he'll think that he can get away with anything. _Nope! Mr. Grey you've met your match! _I think to myself as I pull out into Seattle traffic. I check the clock on the dash and see that its 11 am. I have more than enough time to grab an early lunch then head to work.

The day seems to drag as I wait for Nick to arrive. I spend most of the day researching for the surgery I had at 5:30. The chief and a few others will be observing the procedure so I have to be on my A game. I managed to find a couple doctors to cover the rest of my shift, it wasn't without a lot of begging, but I managed. At five I walk to my patient's room and go over the procedure with them before having one of the interns prepare them for surgery. I head over to the washing station and begin to scrub for the surgery.

Just as I am finishing, Dr. Bailey comes over to wish me luck and we strike a conversation. I love Margret, she is really the best teacher I could hope for; she lets me take on the patients I want and lets me take charge in the OR, but she is always there when I need her. She is more than my teacher, over the past couple of months she has become one of my closest friends.

After the confidence boost from her pep talk, I'm feeling ready for the procedure. I put on my mask and enter the OR. The procedure goes flawlessly and the observers are impressed, today has taken a turn for the better.

By the time I get out of surgery its fifteen past eight. I head to my office to call Nick and ask if he landed safely. The walk to my office is without interruption, I love the hospital at night, most of the patients are sleeping and there is an air of peace. If I said that to one of the emergency residents they would punch me, I remember being on the code team; I hated working nights. As I round the corner to my office I notice that the light is on, I don't remember coming into my office all day today.

I walk up to the door and cautiously open it and poke my head it. To my utter surprise and delight I see Nick. A very girlish squeal escapes my lips as I run into his waiting arms.

"Nick!" I scream in excitement as I jump and wrap my legs around him.

"Ana!" he mimics me as he spins me around.

After a few spins he sets me down and holds me at arm's length, examining me. I take the opportunity to do the same, the first thing I see is his chest, mostly because that is eyelevel for me. He's wearing a plain gray t-shirt that manages to be loose but still cling onto every muscle on his chest, as my eyes travel up his torso I take his scruffy face in. He always has a smile on his face that shows of his dimples, I remember always thinking about how I would love to have his dimples all through high school. His blue-green eyes are twinkling with happiness and excitement and his dirty blond hair flops onto his forehead.

"You look good," he says appreciatively.

"Lier, I look like crap and I smell like it too," I say as I sniff the collar of my scrubs.

"I was going to say the same but I didn't want to be rude," he jokes, snaking his arm around my shoulders.

I elbow him in the ribs and he makes a show of crouching down and holding his side. "Don't we have reservations?" he reminds me, as I continue to laugh at him.

"Yeah, but they aren't until nine. I'm going to shower really quickly and change then we can go," I tell him as I grab my duffel bag.

"Do I have to change?" he asks.

I look at him and bite my lip in concentration. "I think you should, just change into slacks and a button down. Not orange!" I specify. Images of the last Ranger's fundraiser invade my brain.

"It was once!" he defends himself.

"No it wasn't, remember senior prom and my med-school graduation ?" I raise my eyebrow at him.

"Go shower!" he snaps, trying to change the subject.

"That's what I thought," I say as I walk out the door. I rush to doctor's lounge where they thankfully put in showers and dressing rooms. I take the quickest shower of my life, not wanting to spend any of the limited time I have with my best friend away from him. After I step out of the shower I make quick work of drying my hair, making sure that it curls slightly at the ends. I decide to keep my makeup light, only going with foundation, mascara, and a light lip gloss because of the dress I'm planning to wear.

I look through my bag and pull out one of my favorite black, lace panties. I got them on sale a few weeks ago from Victoria's secret and they are my favorite panties. I put them on and I immediately feel sexier. I pull the garment bag out of my bag and open it, the dress inside is the epitome of sexy; it's a sexy, lacy, little black dress that clings to every curve of my body. I slip it on and they lace feels sensual against my skin. I zip up the back of the dress, if you can call it that, the dress shows of the majority of my back while still remaining classy. I slip into some black Jimmy Choo heels and pull my hair over one shoulder. I give myself a quick onceover, grab my bag and leave.

I walk back to my office and walk in only to be faced with the sight of Nick's butt in a suit.

"Wow! I should have dated you when I had the chance," I flirt.

He spins around to face me and stops the minute he sees what I'm wearing. "Are you kidding me? Why do you do this to me?" he says sounding defeated, rubbing his defined jaw.

"Do what?" I say innocently batting my eyelashes as I twirl, giving him a full view of the dress. I don't know why I feel extra flirty tonight, but Nick is always fun to flirt with.

"You are the Devil, woman," he says as he walks towards me and pulls me into his arms.

"I love you, too," I say as I reach up to kiss his cheek. "Now come on, we'll be late." I pull away from him and grab his hand. A lead the way out of my office and turn off the lights. When we are about halfway down the hall I stop. "Shit I forgot my clutch!" I say getting ready to turn around.

Nick holds onto my hand tighter and hands me my clutch that he's been holding. He says nothing and just shakes his hand.

"I don't know how I've been living without you." I smile up at him as I take the clutch from his hand.

"I don't know when I got so whipped." He shakes his head sadly, inciting a laugh from me. I intertwine my arm through his and we walk the rest of the way to the car in comfortable silence. We reach the car and he opens the driver's side door, holding it open for me. I slide in, the cold leather of the seat meets the back of my thighs, making me jump.

I hear Nick chuckle quietly before he closes the door. I watch him walk around the car and slide into the passenger seat. "Alright, let's go to the Mile High Club!" He says excitedly.

"Please be mature when we get there. There are always a lot of very important people eating there and I don't need them hearing you making sex jokes," I warn him.

He gives me a military salute. "Yes, Ma'me!"

I roll my eyes and pull out of the parking spot. The drive to the Columbia Tower is quick, thankfully we missed the evening rush hour traffic. Nick and I spend the whole ride singing along to our favorite songs, occasionally breaking out dancing at stop sign or red light. When we finally get to the Tower the valet takes my keys and Nick and I walk into the building, his hand on the small of my back.

The ride up to the 75th floor is torture, there are a bunch on middle-aged men in stuffy suits talking about the stock market. Nick turns to me and rolls his eyes; it takes every ounce of self-control I possess not to break out into a fit of giggles when he starts mimicking them. I bite the inside of my cheeks so hard that I taste blood. _I'm going to kill him!_ I think to myself.

I spend the rest of the ride trying to avoid looking at Nick. When the elevator finally stops I rush out of there like a bat out of hell. I stop and wait for Nick to get off; when he's about a foot away from me I hit his shoulder.

"What the fuck?! I almost died in there!" I chastise him.

"You did not almost die, stop exaggerating," he sighs, exasperated, but his eyes twinkling with humor.

I just roll my eyes and take his hand. We walk to the Maître'D. "Reservation for two, under Dr. Steele," I tell him.

He gives me a polite smile and looks down at his IPad. "Your table is ready, please follow me," he tells us.

He walks into the dining room, Nick and I on his heel. The restaurant is packed for a Thursday night, but then again the restaurant is always packed. The Maitre'D stops at our table. "Your waiter will be with you momentarily. Have a great evening." He smiles politely.

Nick pulls my chair and helps me sit own before he walks to the other side of the table and take his seat. He looks around the restaurant in awe. We are seated right next to the floor to ceiling windows, giving us a great view of downtown Seattle.

He whistles through his teeth. "When did you get so fancy?" he asks, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?"

"The black Mercedes, the designer clothes, the five star restaurant. I mean look at you! You look like you walked out of a magazine." He waves his hand in my direction, as if just doing that is making a point.

"Why do you make it sound like a bad thing?" I say, slightly offended at his accusatory tone.

"I'm not making it sound like anything. I'm just saying, you've changed. You aren't the same Ana, I knew." He shrugs.

"What does that even mean?" I say, sounding harsher than I intended.

"It doesn't mean anything, I'm just stating facts. You look different, you act different. It's not a good or bad thing, I'm just saying," he explains, holding his hands up as a peace offering.

I don't know why his words are making me so angry; I'm never angry at Nick, but for some reason I just want to get up and walk away. I take a deep breaths, _he didn't say anything wrong, don't start a fight with him, he's only here for a few days! _My subconscious pipes up.

I shake my head, trying to get all the angry thoughts out of my head. Before I can say anything the waiter comes over. "Good evening, my name is Jackson and I will be your waiter tonight, would you like to see the wine list?" he asks.

"Yes," I say

"No," Nick says at the same time me. We both turn to look at each other. "Since when do you drink wine?" he asks.

"I've been drinking wine for months now," I tell him, giving him an annoyed look. What is wrong with him tonight?

I turn to the waiter, slightly embarrassed. "I'd like the see the wine list, thank you," I tell him.

"Right away, Miss," he says and quickly leaves.

I turn to Nick and see that he's looking at me, his lips pressed together in a thin line and a strange look on his face.

"What is wrong with you tonight?" I ask him.

"You drink wine now? You hate the taste of wine!" he asks.

"It grew on me since I got here. I don't see what the big deal is," I tell him, agitation clear in my voice.

"You've changes a lot since you got here," he says softly.

"Because I like wine? I was drinking wine in New York, too," I tell him.

"Only when you had to," he shots back.

"Are we really agruing about wine?" I laugh in utter disbelief.

"We aren't arguing, and it's not about the wine. It's about the fact that since you left three months ago you are a completely different person," he says his voice accusatory.

"I grew up, Nick. I'm so sorry that I'm not the poor, self-conscious, bitch baby, who got beat by her boyfriend," I say. I throw my napkin on the table and stand.

Nick stares at me in wide eyed shock. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know, away from you!" I snap at him.

"Ana, I'm sorry, just sit down before you make a scene," he says looking around to make sure that no one is looking at us.

I take a deep breath, he's right I don't want to make a scene in the most exclusive club in the city. I sit back down and put the discarded napkin on my lap. Before either of us can say anything the waiter returns with the wine list.

"Thank you." I smile up at waiter.

"I will be back in a couple minutes to take your drink orders," he says before leaving.

I look down at the wine menu, avoiding Nick's gaze. This is not how I expected this evening to go and I can't help but feel disappointed.

"Ana…" Nick starts, his voice low and remorseful.

"What? Did you forget to insult something else about me?" I snap, not looking up from the wine menu.

I only look up when Nick's hand appears over the top of the menu and he pulls it away. "Ana, seriously, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. It was just a shock that I haven't seen you in three months and when I do it is as if you are a completely different person," he tells me, apologetically.

"I'm not a different person! I like to drink wine, and I have a job where I can afford to buy nice cars and eat at cool restaurants. I'm still the same Ana I've always been. You've been here less than 2 hours, Nick. What you have seen so far doesn't have anything to do with who I am, and I would think that you of all people would now that," I say.

"I was just…I don't know. These last couple of weeks you've been distant; missing calls, our Thursday night traditions, and a bunch of little things. Then I get here and you have a huge office, a fancy car, and I just got worried. I don't want to lose my best friend," he mutters.

"Aww, Nicky. You'll never lose me. I've just been really busy with work. I'm sorry, too. I've been a horrible friend," I apologize, I reach my hand out and put if over his.

"No you haven't. I'm just not used to being without you," he admits.

"I know, it's weird being without you, too," I confess.

Before Nick can respond, the waiter comes back for our drink orders. I let go of Nick's hand and give the wine list one final look. "I'll take a glass of the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc," I tell the waiter and hand him back the menu. Then turn my attention back to Nick.

"I'll have the same," he tells the waiter. The waiter leaves appetizer menus and goes to get our drinks.

"You're getting wine?" I raise my eyebrow at him.

He gives me a dirty look but says nothing. "So what looks good?" he asks, looking down at the starter menu.

I follow his lead and scan the menu. "The tuna seems delicious," I tell him.

"Layers of Thinly Pounded Yellow-fin Tuna, Foie Gras and Toasted Baguette, Chives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil," Nick reads, the looks at me and rolls his eyes.

I laugh at his expression. "It will go great with the wine. You love tuna," I tell him.

"Yeah, from a can," he specifies.

I throw my head back and laugh. No matter how much money he has, he will never get used to it and it's endearing.

"Are you laughing at me?" he says, in mock anger.

"I'm laughing with you," I clarify.

"But I'm not laughing," he snaps playfully. The waiter comes back with our wine and sets them on the table. We quickly put in our starter orders and he leaves again, leaving Nick and I to fall back into easy conversation.

I sit back against my seat and look at Nick as he talks, not listening to him. For some reason it feels strange being here with him. I have never felt uncomfortable around Nick, but I just can't help but think that something is off.

_It is! Last night, at this time, you were in bed with Christian Grey! _My subconscious screams out at me.

I shake my head, trying to get all thoughts of Christian out of my head. This is not the time to think about him. This feeling about Nick has nothing to do with Christian. Nick's right, I've changed, and for the first time in over ten years we aren't on the same page. I just watch him going on and on about his teammates, telling jokes that would usually have me rolling on the floor laughing, but tonight I can barely fake a smile.

I love Nick to death, but being here with him feels so…well, it feels like nothing. There is no spark, no excitement, no nothing. _Isn't that how it's supposed to be? You two are just friends, there isn't supposed to be a spark,_ the rational part of my brain states.

I realize this, but I can't help but compare it to how it felt spending time with Christian. Even in the first couple of times when we barely knew each other he was so interesting, and interested in me. He's passionate, smart, challenging, unpredictable, the list goes on and on. When I'm with him I feel alive, I feel like I have met my equal in every way.

I let out an angry sigh. He just had to mess it up this morning! For such a smart man he is so stupid! I really want to call him and just accept his apology, but what kind of women would I be if I did? I have self-respect and pride, he's going to really have to work for it before I even consider forgiving him.

"Ana! Are you even listening to me?" Nicks annoyed voice bursts through my reverie.

"Of course I am," I reassure him halfheartedly.

"Really what did I just say?" He raises an eyebrow, his mouth in a thin line. The look really doesn't suit him.

I'm about to speak when a movement behind Nick catches my attentions. Actually I think it was the shiver up my spine that caused me to look in that direction. I look passed my now pissed off friend and my heart skips a beat.

The Mairte 'D walks towards my table, behind him the subject of all my daydreams for the last two weeks, Mr. Christian Grey.

He looks dashing in a navy blue dinner suit, his hair a copper mess on top of his head. I just want to run my hands through it for the rest of my life. _Whoa! Don't go there! _My subconscious yells. His face handsome face looks somber, very much like it did this morning. I suddenly feel an ache in my chest, I don't want to see him sad, but he has to learn that what he did was wrong.

He catches my eyes and his face transforms before me. His eyes, that were clouded and sad, turn light gray and a look of surprise, happiness…and some other familiar emotion that I constantly see in his eyes but can't place appear. His face breaks into his signature Christian Grey, thousand megawatt smile and I forget how to breathe for a few minutes.

He tilts his head to the side slightly and his smile turns into the sad little boy smile that I love. The smile quickly disappears as his eyes leave mine and go to my dinner partner. Christian composes himself quickly, but not before I see the slight hurt and anger in his eyes. I roll my eyes at him and as I do I notice something I didn't notice before.

Next to Christian, with her arm in the crock of his elbow is a curvy, Bleach blonde, with a sharp Bob cut. She looks to be about 45 or 50, she is desperately trying to look younger by the look of her tight, plastic skin. My heart drops when I see her lean in to whisper in his ear, the gesture so intimate.

I turn to look away but I meet Christian's gaze in the process. He can clearly see the hurt in my face and for a second he looks panicked. He looks at me pleadingly, silently begging for something. What could he possibly want? Who is this women? From the looks of how she's hanging on his arm, she is way more than a friend. The thought makes me sick, to think that I considered forgiving him.

He sleeps with me, when from the looks of it he's in some sort of intimate relationship with this women. Just the look of her makes my skin crawl. Tears start to blur my vision and I look away and stare down at my lap, blinking rapidly. I don't need Nick asking questions.

"Ana!" Nick yells annoyed at the fact that I haven't answered him.

"What?" I snap back, glaring at him.

"What is your problem tonight? Are you PMSing or something? Is that why you're being so rude?" he spits, his words stinging like a slap to the face.

The seconds his words leave his mouth a look of utter remorse and guilt appears on his face. He opens his mouth to say something but I'm not having any of this. Tonight is a disaster.

I push my chair back, standing up and grabbing my napkin as I stand. I throw the napkin on the table, grab my clutch and head for the door of the dining room. I hear chair squeak of a chair being pushed behind me. If Nick knows what's good for him he won't follow me. I know I'm overreacting but the events of the last couple if days are catching up with me emotionally.

I walk out, thankfully I'm a member and they'll just bill me. I walk to the foyer where the elevators are and thankfully there is no one there. I press the down button multiple times, hoping for the elevator to arrive before Nick does.

"Ana!" I hear a voice yell. In my state of mind I can't tell whose voice it is. I assume it's Nick and I turn around to let him have it.

I am just about to open my mouth when I realize that it's not Nick standing behind me, it's Christian.

**So what did you think? Can you guess how the plastic faced, bottle blond, hoe on Christian's arm is? I hope you all enjoyed it! On to the next chapter, my poor little fingers are about to bleed. Please review, follow, fav and check out the Pinterest board. **

**P.S. If anyone knows what site people are seeing the clips for the movie on, please PM me and let me know. I haven't hand a chance to explore and I really want to see all the clips people won't stop talking about. **

**Thank you for reading! See you soon!**

**-Lily**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey everyone! How are you all doing? I'm sure that you are all fantastic since the movie came out. It was magical! I loved that Ana had sass and the music was so great, Jamie and Dakota had amazing chemistry and really brought the characters to life, I could go on for hours but let's move on. **

**Thank you all so much, as always, for your amazing feedback. I was so shocked about the reaction that the little drama in Nick and Ana's relationship got! You guys didn't even care half as much when Christian fucked up, but the second I try to push Nick away I get PM's that people will stop reading! Wow! It's the last time I try to do that; My Nick, the real guy that the character of Nick is based, on loved this, he adores all the love that Nick gets and he's starting to get a big head about it. Some of you understand that friendships sometimes go through rough patches but Ana and Nick are more than just friends, they have been with each other through everything, and I'm sure that they have fought in the past. So please, stop the threats, I was never planning on taking Nick away, every girl needs a Nick. But I wanted to make Ana and Nicks relationship more realistic, no one has a friendship that perfect and this is just a small disagreement, so don't worry! This chapter doesn't really focus on them, but the next one will. **

**Elena! I hate her so much, but of course she had to be in the story. We will see Christian's point of view on how he ended up at dinner with the bitch troll, and how he and Ana move past this whole mess that he created. Men!**

**Anyways please enjoy this chapter, the last few have not been very happy chapters but this one starts the process of Ana and Christian finally getting their heads out of their ass's and talking to each other, instead of jumping to conclusions and making stupid decisions. So please enjoy, review, favorite and follow. Also check out the Pinterest page, the link is in my bio.**

**CPOV**

I can't get her out of my mind. From the minute she walked out the door- actually from the minute I left her apartment this morning, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her. _How could I be so stupid? _

I found someone who I could be normal with and I fuck it up. _You fuck everything up, Grey, get over it,_ the dark voice in my head pipes up. I stand up and walk around my desk, I feel like screaming every time I think of that hurt look on her face.

She made everything so good, she was so good, and sweet, and innocent, and funny, and challenging. I have never met a women that intrigued me the way she does. I always get bored with them after a few minutes of talking, mostly because all they were after was my money. But Ana- it hurts to even think her name, she's different. She doesn't care about my money, or who I am. She genuinely liked me for me, and I fuck it up.

I look at the books on my desk and think back to this morning. She came to talk to me and like the ass that I am I just kissed her. I couldn't help it, to see her there, looking so hot, I just had to hold her to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Mr. Grey," Olivia's annoyingly timid voice comes through the PA.

"What?" I snap.

"I…um, do you need me to stay?" she finally manages to say after a few attempts. I have no idea why this idiot is still on my payroll, she doesn't know her ass from a hole in the ground.

"Just leave, Olivia," I snap again. I've been in a foul mood all day, yelling at everyone. The whole building is walking on eggshells, trying to make sure they don't say anything that will cause them to lose their job. Every time I check my email and I don't see one from Ana my mood darkens even more. I hold my cheek where she kissed it this morning, the spot where her lips touched my cheek tingles every time I think of her.

She agreed to try and forgive me, the though brings me a small amount of comfort. I don't know how she could possibly forgive me after what I put her through, but it goes to show how kind and forgiving she is. _She never said she would forgive you fully, she said you could be friends, you fucked it up,_ the voice says.

No! I refuse to let her go just like that. I finally found someone I want to be with and I will have her. I'll prove to her that I'm the kind of man she needs, I'll earn her trust again.

_And how are you going to do that?_ The dark voice says condescendingly.

_I'll find a way, I have to find a way, _I think in desperation. Being with her was like being in the sun, everything was warm, and bright, and happy. Now I'm back in my perpetual darkness and it seems worse than ever. I had a taste of how good it could be and I'm not going back, I know I don't deserve to be in her light, but I'm a selfish man. I will get her back, I resolve.

The loud ringing of my phone snaps me out of my train of thought. I pick it up from my desk and look at the caller ID.

"What is it, Elena?" I ask, annoyed. The only person I want to talk to right now is Ana.

"Hello to you too, Darling," she says in a sickly sweet voice.

"I'm not in the mood right now." I snap.

"Darling is everything okay? Is it that little doctor of yours?" she enquires.

I sigh. "She has a name."

"Ah, so she is the reason for this mood of yours. Did you show her your playroom?"

The question alone makes me want to throw up. "No!"

"You are so tense. Why don't we talk about it over dinner? Your treat," she says.

"I don't think that's a good ideal. I'm just going to go home," I tell her.

"I won't take no for an answer!" She insists.

"Well, you are going to have to. I'm not in the mood to go out, especially with you."

"You wound me, Christian. I am outside your office right now. We are going to the Club." She says then hangs up.

I let out a deep, frustrated breath; the last think I want to do right now is have Elena asking invasive questions about Ana. I sigh again and grab my jacket off the back of my chair and throw it over my shoulder. I take one final look at my email; still no email from Ana.

I power of my computer and head out of my office. I walk down the hall to Taylor's office. I walk into his office and find him hunched over some paperwork.

"Are you ready to leave, Sir?" He looks up when I enter.

"I will be going to dinner with, Mrs. Lincoln. You can just head home, take the rest of the night of." I tell him, ignoring the disapproving look he gives me when I mention Elena.

He nods. "Have a good night, Mr. Grey," he says.

"You too, Taylor," I tell him.

I begin to walk out the door of Taylor's office, until a thought pops into my head. "Oh, and Taylor. I need a full background check done on a Maxwell Anderson, everything you can dig up on him; I want to know how many times he blinks a day," I tell him.

Taylor gives me a confused look. "Of New York?" he asks.

"Do you know him?" I ask, suddenly extremely curious.

"He is Allen Anderson's son," he states as if it is the most obvious thing in the world.

I regard him with confusion on my face. "Allen Anderson?"

"He runs the New York division of your fathers firm," he clarifies.

_Oh,_ realization sweeps through me. It suddenly makes sense, Allen Anderson is a ruthless lawyer who has been known to be ruthless outside the courtroom. That explains why his son is so violent. "I still need the background check," I tell him. I don't care who his father is, he can't get away with what he did to my Ana. _She's not your Ana_! The dark voice in my head states smugly.

I walk out of Taylor's office and head towards the elevator. As I wait for it to come up I take out my phone and look through the pictures on it. Until one week ago there weren't any pictures on it, but now I have at least 30 pictures of Ana. Just seeing her picture makes a smile tug on my lips. The smile quickly fades away as my stomach drops thinking that she is angry with me, and with good reason.

I sigh as the elevator doors open and I walk in. Today has been one of the worst days in my life. I spent two weeks looking forward to talking to Ana, email sparing with her, and suddenly there is nothing, and it's all my fault. The last thing I want to do right now is go and have dinner with Elena. She has been acting strange since I mentioned Ana. For some reason she doesn't seem to want me to be with someone who isn't in the lifestyle, and before meeting Ana I completely agreed with her, but now, I honestly don't know. I want to tell Ana the whole truth, she told me about her past- thinking of what that monster did to her. I take a deep breath, finding comfort in the thought that he will pay for his actions.

The elevator stops moving and after a few seconds the doors slide open. I walk into the pristine white lobby to see Elena standing in the middle of it, her nose buried in her phone. Her platinum blond bob is falling down, covering her face. She looks up when she hears the elevator door close. I'm momentarily shocked by how old she looks, I haven't seen Elena in person for a couple of months, or maybe it's just because I'm used to Ana's youthful beauty.

"Oh, Darling, you look exhausted," she says.

"It has been a long day. That's why I wanted to go home, but you insisted on dinner," I snap angrily.

She stares at me, shocked- well I think, she's had so much Botox that it's hard to tell. "Christian, are you forgetting who you're speaking to?" She says in her dominant voice.

"Cut the shit, Elena. Let's go get this over with," I sigh and walk ahead of her.

"That's the spirit!" She says sarcastically. I take a deep breath for the millionth time today, and wait for her to reach me. We walk to my car in silence, mostly due to the fact that I ignore all her attempts at conversation. I have never been so annoyed with Elena but since I told her about Ana she has been acting strange.

The drive to my club is relatively comfortable. She spends the whole time talking about the salons and her new submissive Isaac, as long as she doesn't bring up Ana I'm good.

We get to the Columbia Tower and I hand the valet my keys; his face lights up when he takes in the R8.

"I haven't been here since brunch with your mother three weeks ago," Elena states. "She misses you," she adds, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. She knows how much I hate when she talks about my mother. She is just trying to push my buttons tonight, I just nod; I no longer have the energy to entertain her.

The ride up to the restaurant is thankfully quiet because the elevator was full. As the doors open I let out another sigh, I really do not want to be here, but I have never been able to say no to Elena.

Andrew, the manager rushes up to us. "Mr. Grey! It has been so long! How are you?" he asks, mostly out of necessity and ass kissing than actually caring how I am.

"Good. The usual table, please," I tell him, keeping my face impassive. I don't have patients for him tonight.

His smile falters for a second and he motions for the Maitre D' to come and take Elena and I to our table. As we begin to walk Elena hooks her arm through mine.

The second we enter the dining room I feel a familiar electric pulse. I look around, my eyes searching until finally they find what I'm looking for. The second my eyes meet her powder blue orbs my whole body relaxes. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Before I can control it my mouth spreads into a too-wide grin. A blush starts to creep onto Ana's cheeks, the pink only making her eyes seem bluer.

I tilt my head to the side and my grin widens. Even if she is mad at me I still have an effect on her. The thought is very encouraging.

My sudden good mood disappears as quickly as it appeared as I take in her dinner partner. Across from her sits a big, dirty blond, man. I immediately recognize him as _Nick_, her supposed 'best friend'. He hasn't notices that she isn't paying him any attention, he keeps babbling about something. As if he feels my murderous gaze on him he looks towards me, a look of confusion then turns to Ana.

I follow his lead and look at Ana. The expression on her face floors me. She isn't looking at me but at Elena beside me. Ana's eyes are wide and confused for a few seconds as she takes in the situation, a 'V' forms between her perfect eyebrow, _It must be so soft to kiss,_ I think to myself.

The look of confusion is quickly replaced by one of realization and complete and utter hurt. I thought she looked hurt this morning but this is a whole new level. Her eyes flash to mine and I'm panicking. What is she thinking? Does she think I'm here with Elena on a date? Shit! This is going to ruin any chance I have to win her back! I silently beg and prey she isn't jumping to that conclusion, but if the look of devastation on her face is any indicator she already has.

She quickly turns away from me and it takes me a second to realize that it's because that boy called her. He says something that I can't make out and her mouth falls open in response. She pushes her chair back and throws her napkin on the table, then walks out.

**APOV**

I'm momentarily shocked by seeing Christian there, I was expecting Nick. I take a deep breath and blink a few times, trying to keep the tears in my eyes from escaping.

"Ana," he says, this time softer, his voice low like he's talking to a child about to have a tantrum.

The sound of his voice brings me back to reality. "What do you want, Mr. Grey?" I say icily.

He looks taken aback by my harsh tone, but what else was he expecting? "Please don't jump to conclusions, this was just a business dinner," he says sheepishly, trying to explain himself.

I let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "You don't owe me anything, Christian. I was the one that was stupid for thinking that you would be any different from other guys. You can do whatever you want, have a great life," I tell him, keeping my voice as even as I can. I come out much more confident than I am.

He takes a step closer to me and I freeze. "Ana-baby, please. I didn't even want to be out tonight. I told you this morning I've been miserable all day. Elena is a friend of my mothers and I'm a silent partner in her salons. She wanted to talk business," he says, his voice full of desperation, he looks lost.

_Elena? Grace was having lunch with an Elena earlier this week!_ I realize, but it doesn't make sense, the way she was touching him was way too intimate.

"I don't care, Christian. You've proven today that I can't trust you and I won't be with someone I can't trust," I say calmly. My heart breaking at every word that comes out of my mouth.

"But you haven't given me a chance to prove that you can trust me. I want you, Anastasia, I want you like I've never wanted anyone before. I've spent my whole day being miserable, and checking my email at least a hundred times to see if you had emailed me. I've been on the verge of going to the hospital and begging you to forgive me. But I'm giving you space like you asked and now you are just not going to let me try and fix this?" He runs his fingers through his hair, a look of panic plastered in his usually calm face.

"But the thing is you had your chance, and you left! You are the one that chose to leave, and what if I let you in again and in a month or a year that it's too much for you? You decide that it's too real? Then what? I'm left picking up the pieces? I can't- no I won't do that again. You don't even know what you want! One second you say that you 'don't do the girlfriend thing' and now you are begging me to try a relationship. You push me away then you want me, you have some dark secret that you want to tell me, but then again you don't want to. What do you want?" My voice cracks at the end with unshed tears. This was supposed to be a fun night with my best friend and it has turned into this mess.

His gray eyes bore into mine. "I want you," he states simply. His voice low and confident, like he has never been so sure of anything before. The sincerity in his eyes and his words catch me off guard.

_He wants me?_ The thought spins around and around in my head, unable to be processed. This is all too much. His hypnotic eyes search mine, for what? I don't know. Silence falls over us after his confession. I don't know what to say. I don't know how I feel, I haven't processed this yet and I need time. Do I want him?_ Of course!_ Do I trust that he won't leave again and break my heart beyond repair in the process? _I don't know. _

"Ana, say something," he says after a few seconds of silence, his eyes continue to search mine, as he runs his hand through is hair again. I sign that he is anxious. He looks so nervous, as if my response to his statement is the most important thing in the word, as if I'm deciding whether or not he gets to live.

"Prove it, if you want me you need to prove it. I need to trust you again and it won't be easy, and I'm not promising anything but a chance," I finally tell him.

He lets out a breath that I didn't notice he was holding. His broad shoulders slump and he seems to relax slightly. The look of panic and desperation on his perfect face transforms into one of determination. "I can do that, I will prove it. You'll be mine, I promise you that, Dr. Steele," he says determined. A small smile tugs at the corners of his full lips.

He steps closer to me and for the first time all day I don't flinch away. "We'll see, I won't make it easy," I challenge.

"Bring it on," he says as he wraps a strong arm around my waist and leans in for a kiss. I turn so that his lips land on my cheek.

"Oh no, Mr. Grey. I agreed to give you a chance. I never agreed that everything would go back to normal. You have to work for it and there are some rules," I stare up at him, momentarily distracted by his beauty, _will I ever get used to him? _

He smirks down at me. "Rules?" he raises a perfect eyebrow.

"Yes, as of right now."

"And pray tell, what are the rules?" His smirk gets bigger.

"Well, the first I 100% complete honesty, no secrets, we talk about everything feelings, fears, hopes, excreta, etcetera. Second you have to call before coming over, you can't just show up out of nowhere. Third, you have to woo me; I want to be romanced, what did you call it before-oh yeah, hearts and flowers, dates and all that. And that doesn't mean I want to be flown to Paris, or you buy me extravagant gifts. Oh actually rule number four, there is a hundred dollar limit on all gifts and dates and you cannot spend more than $200 on me in a week-"

"Rule number four is a little much don't you think?" He cuts me off.

"You have to follow the rules. And if you don't like that one wait until you here the last one," I tell him.

"What's the last rule?" he asks, his voice a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"No sex. Of any kind, until further notice."

**So what did you think?**

**Well this just seemed like a great place to stop. I always have a plan for a chapter before I start writing it, but it always seems to take on a life of its own, I had no idea that it would end like this, but I'm very pleased with it and looking forward to seeing what you all think of it. Please review, favorite, follow and all that crap!**

**Until next time!**

**Lily**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello everyone! As always thank you all so much for your support. This month marks a year since I started writing this story and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be doing it for this long. I always thought I would get bored and leave it, but this story has become part of my life. I have met so many amazing people through this story and I couldn't be more thankful. You are all so great; motivating me-sometimes using threats- to write, you have supported my story and given me great feedback. So here is to a great year and to another one full of creativity and naughtiness!**

**Lily**

"No sex?" he spits out in disbelief. His eyes widen and his mouth opens slightly.

I purse my lips and simply shake my head. "Nope," I respond, putting emphasis on the 'p'.

"Why, did you no enjoy it?" he asks, his voice low and husky, it immediately sends shivers down my spine. I'm suddenly regretting this rule.

A blush creeps onto my cheek as I consider his question. "I enjoyed it very much. But I need to trust that you won't leave in the middle of the night again," I explain.

"I would never do that again," he promises, tightening the hand he has around my waist.

"Still, Christian. I want to get to know you before I jump into bed with you again. So no sex," I insist.

He sighs. "For how long?"

"I'm not sure, I don't have an exact date or timeframe in mind. When I feel ready you'll be the first to know," I tell him, smiling up at him.

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lip, and a mischievous gleam appears in his eyes. "So no sex with just you? Or am I not allowed to have sex with anyone?" he asks, his voice full of humor.

I know he's joking, trying to lighten the mood, but the thought of him sleeping with anyone else leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. "You can sleep with other girls, as long as I can sleep with other guys," I fire back, raising one of my eyebrows.

His face darkens and his eyes narrow. "No sex." He simply states.

I have to bite the corners of my mouth to keep from smiling. "Whatever you say. I think we need to go back to our dinners," I say, unwrapping his arm from around my waist.

"Or we could just go and leave them here," he whispers in my ear, his raspy voice, full of naughty promise, makes every muscle south of my belly button clench.

I take a cautionary step away from him; I know what he's doing and it's not going to work. "I would love to but I'm Nicks ride," I tell him with a shrug.

"Actually, I have the keys, so I'm your ride." Nick's deep voice comes from behind Christian. We both turn to see Nick leaning against the wall across from the elevator, twirling the keys of my car in his left hand. Nick's face is impassive as he stares Christian down, if I didn't know him as well as I do I would have missed the way he broadened his shoulders and his pursed lips. He looks like he is getting ready to fight, but I'm comforted by the amused look in his eyes.

I shake my head at him. "So that's why you didn't follow after me," I say more to myself than to him.

"I was waiting to see how long it would take you to realize that I had the keys. When you took too long I decided to come and check on you. But I see that you got umm…distracted," he says, his eyes alight with humor.

He swaggers over to where Christian and I are standing and stops about a foot from Christian. Nick is a big guy, he is about half a head taller than Christian and defiantly much bulkier than him.

I feel Christian tense next to me. He stands taller and squares his shoulders, he suddenly has an air of command around him. I see why everyone considers him so intimidating. He keeps his face impassive and void of all emotion as he reaches his hand out to Nick. "You must be Nick, the friend. Christian Grey," he says in an even voice, putting emphasis on the word friend.

Nick stares at Christian's had for a few seconds before taking it. I see the muscles in his hand clench as he obviously squeezes Christian's hand. Christian doesn't seem fazed by it.

"Yeah I'm the best friend. You're the investor for the Brain Mapping research right? It's nice to meet you," he says in the same passive, slightly aggressive tone that Christian used seconds ago.

"I'm a little more than that," Christian quickly responds, snaking his arm around my waist again. I suddenly feel like I'm being pulled between the two of them; this is not going well.

Both men are glaring at each other, tension rolling of them in waves; and I'm stuck in the middle, literally. Before I have a chance to speak and end this awkward pissing contest Nick pipes up again.

"Oh sorry, that's the only thing Ana mentioned about you." Nick grabs my hand. I dig my fingernails into his palm, trying to get him to look at me, as I shoot him daggers with my eyes. The hand that Christian has around my waist seems to tighten.

"Well, now that everyone knows each other I think it's best that we all sit down; it's starting to look weird that we are all standing here," I say, trying to get their attention.

Christian finally breaks his staring contest with Nick and looks down at me. "Are you sure you don't just want to get out of here, baby?" he says, his gray eyes bore into mine, his voice extra sultry.

For a second my mind goes blank and I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Actually, baby doesn't want to get out of here. We need to finish our dinner then go home," Nick responds for me, pulling my hand towards him.

"Home?" Christian asks me, ignoring Nick completely.

That seems to snap me back into reality. "Yeah, Nick is staying with me until Tuesday," I explain. Christian's face hardens and he simply nods.

"Well, I'll let you go back to your dinner, then. I'll call you later, baby." He leans in and gives me a kiss on the corner of my mouth, and he lingers way to long for it to be considered appropriate. He gives my waist one more squeeze then let's go. "Nick," he says in a clipped tone.

"Mr. Grey." Nick nods.

With one final look my way Christian walks back into the dining room. Leaving me and Nick by ourselves in the foyer.

I purse my lips and glare up at him. "What?" he asks sheepishly.

I bite the corners of my mouth to keep from laughing at the boyish look on his face. "Did you really have to be so rude?" I snap, trying hard to keep the disapproval in my voice.

"I guess we were both rude tonight, so it's even," he fires back.

I sight. "I'm sorry about tonight. I've been a horrible host, and the worst friend ever," I apologize, shrugging my shoulders.

"Yes you have, but I'm sorry about what I said, too. You are obviously going through some things and I took my worries out on you," he apologizes.

"You know I'm never going to really change right? I'm always going to be the same Ana that I've always been. I just dress better. And I'm really sorry about being distant these past couple of weeks, things with work have been hectic and the thing with Christian is…confusing to say the least," I admit.

"Why didn't you tell me? Whatever it is I'm always going to be here for you, Annie. It's us against the world remember?" he says, quoting what I said to him when things got hard during and right after college.

"Oh, Nick." I throw my arms around him and bury my head in his chest. His strong arms wrap around me and I immediately feel comfortable. Nick is like home, the way he smells, the way his heart beats against my ear, the way he wraps his arms around me and presses his cheek against my head. He is my security blanket, my knight in shining armor, and I'm again overwhelmed with guilt that I don't hold the same feelings for him as he does for me. No matter what he will always be my Nick, my best friend and nothing else.

"I should have told you, but you've been busy too, and I didn't want to bother you. And things didn't go bad with Christian until last night," I admit.

"You slept with him," he states, it's not a question, just a simple statement that hangs in the air for what seems like hours.

"You heard that?" I ask, instead of answering. I pull away slightly to look up at him.

"I was standing there for a while," he says, giving me a small, guilty smile.

I pull away completely and give his chest a playful smile. "I don't eavesdrop on your conversations with your whores!"

"Because my whores and I don't have conversations, their mouths are usually too full." He winks at me. I try, I really do, but I can't help the laugh that slips through my lips.

"You are disgusting!" I retort.

"Well, it's obviously something you've already done now, so…" he shrugs and puts his arm around my shoulders, and begins walking back into the dining room.

"Actually, I haven't," I confess.

He suddenly stops walking. "You didn't blow, Mr. Moneybags?" He looks at me with a shocked impression on his face.

"Nope," I respond and start walking again. Nick walks next to me in silence, obviously thinking about something. We get back to our table and see that the appetizer has arrived. Nick pulls out my seat then takes his own, all the while he is silent.

"Your really didn't blow him? You guys just went straight to sex? No foreplay?" he asks, disbelief evident in his voice.

I laugh. "There was foreplay; I just didn't give him a blowjob. We only slept together once, and all we did before was kiss. Why is it such a big deal?"

He lets out a deep breath and shakes his head in disappointment. "Have I taught you nothing? You are not going to be that type of girl! You are going to go over there and get on your knees right now!" he commands jokingly.

I laugh harder. "What type girl am I?" I question.

"The type that refuse to give blowjobs then wonder why a guy won't stay with them. You have to, it's the key to a happy relationship," he says, taking a sip of his wine. Nicks eyes dance around, full of humor.

"First of all, I didn't refuse, it never came up-" I'm cut off by Nick laughing.

"Of course it didn't come up, you never blew it!" he borderline screams, almost choking on his wine in the process. This is the Nick I'm used to, the one that can make me laugh until I cry.

I kick him under the table. "It came up just fine, trust me. Secondly, what do you know about successful relationship. I'm your most successful relationship with a woman and I've never given you a blow job," I retort.

Nicks face suddenly goes serious. "Well, actually…remember that night you got shit-faced at Jake's party, your first year of medical school?"

Panic overtakes my body. Oh my god! OH MY GOD! How could I be so stupid? Why didn't he tell me? I'm suddenly overtaken by anger at Nick, how dare he take advantage of me when I'm drunk and wait four years to tell me?

I'm taken out of my murderous thoughts by Nick's hysterical laughter. "Oh god, your face! You really fell for it!" He has tears running down his now red face.

I let out a sigh of relief. "That wasn't funny! No wonder you can't keep a serious girlfriend," I snap at him.

"There are many reasons I can't keep a serious girlfriend, but my amazing sense of humor is not one of them. But seriously, I'm just joking, you don't have to do anything with him that you don't want to. I know that he's your first and you obviously really like him, but don't think that you have to do a bunch of crazy things to keep him interested," he says seriously.

"I know that, he's a great guy, Nicky. He wouldn't force me to do anything I wouldn't be comfortable with. And anyways we aren't having sex for a while, and I can hold my own, so it's not something you need to worry about," I reassure him.

"I know that you are a strong woman, but there is just something about him that's off and I don't know what it is," he confesses.

"Off?" I straighten myself in my seat. This is almost like what he said about Max. Nick is like my brother and I want him to approve and like someone that I will be with; I trust him with my life. If he gets a bad feeling about Christian then it will give me something to consider.

"Not off in the same way that He was. There is just something about him, I'm not saying it's bad; he just seems very closed off and rigid, like he's holding back or hiding something," he tells me.

"You got that all from five minutes with him?" I joke.

"I've always been good with people, you know that. Just be careful. And he seems like a pompous asshole," he continues, lightening the mood, looking over my head to where Christian is sitting.

My mind immediately goes back to his comment about being 'fifty shades of fucked up', Nick may have a point. I just need to keep an open mind and be careful, I resolve.

We spend the rest of dinner laughing and having easy, light conversation. I feel so much lighter now that I've dealt with the Christian situation.

"Would you like desert?" the waiter asks us, as he takes away the plates.

I take another sip of wine, looking at Nick to see if he wants any. "I think we are good, thank you. We'll just take the bill," Nick tells him.

"Actually put it on my account." I smile up at him.

"Well, Ma'am, your bill has already been covered," he tells me.

I look up at him, confusion clearly etched on my face. "By who?"

"Mr. Grey, the owner," he clarifies. "Will that be all?" he asks.

"Yes, thank you," I respond absentmindedly. Christian owns the place? Figures, I shake my head.

"That was nice of him, but it's breaking the rules," Nick says, an amused look on his face.

"Really? Were you there the whole time?" I snap.

"Actually, yes I was." He shrugs, as if what he did was completely acceptable.

I just roll my eyes, and try not to smile, which pretty much sums up my whole relationship with Nick. "Come on, let's go. I have left over chocolate lava cake batter in the fridge," I tell him, wagging my eyebrows.

Before I can even finish my sentence Nick is standing. "Let's go!" he says, grabbing my black clutch off the table. There is nothing more entertaining than seeing a 6ft 5, 215lbs, wall of muscle, professional hockey player holding a black, sparkly Prada clutch. It looks like a doll toy in his massive hands. I slide my chair back and get up carefully, after four glasses of wine my coordination isn't the best.

I take Nick's outstretched hand and we walk out of the dining room. "So what are we doing tomorrow?" he asks as we stat to walk.

"I heard the weather is supposed to be great tomorrow, so we can walk around the city like obnoxious tourists," I suggest excitedly. That was mine and Nick's favorite thing to do in New York. Before Nick was drafted by the Rangers, and I was still in medical school, we had no money, so we spent whatever free time we had dressed in the most obnoxious clothes, and going around the city with fake accents pretending to be tourists.

"Yes!" His eyes light up at my suggestions and he gives me a wide, dimply smile. "What accents should we go with?" he asks.

I laugh at his question, remembering all the silly accents we did over the years. "You know I suck at accents," I tell him as we stop in the foyer to wait for the elevator.

Nick presses the button and stands back with me to wait, the worst part about this building is that the elevator takes at least five minutes to arrive. I look around the foyer and see that we are alone.

"Come on, you can do a great southern accent," he insists, pressing his lips in a hard line to keep from laughing. A giggle escapes my lips as I think about what he's referring to.

"Come on, Annie. You can be Amy Lynn, from Savannah again," he says in his best southern drawl.

"Oh now, sweat pea, we agreed to never speak abou' that 'gain," I say in my best sweet southern belle accent.

Nick's grin gets wider. "So is that a yes?" he presses on.

"Oh, Honey bunch, you know I can't say no to you," I continue on with my accent, reaching up on my tip toes and taking his face between my hands, pinching his cheeks like a grandmother.

"Remember when you called that police officer Honey Bunches of Oats?" He says through is laughter.

"Stop it! I panicked! I've never been so embarrassed in my life," I yell at Nick, trying to keep my own laughter at bay.

"You still got his number." Nick shrugs once he's finally composed himself. I let go of his face and fall back on my heels.

Just as I am about to respond to him, I feel the familiar pull. I turn around to see Christian coming out of the dining room, sans Barbie. His eyes catch mine and a dazzling smile appears on his lips.

"Whose number did you get?" he asks, tilting his head to the side slightly, looking completely adorable.

"Oh, it's not important." I grin back at him. "Where's your date?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalantly.

"Smooth," I hear Nick cough out loudly beside me. I continue to look at Christian, but dig my heel into Nick's foot.

"She found another date," he says, smiling a mysterious smile that makes me feel like I'm not in on a joke. He strides over to where I'm standing, a grin still plastered on his face.

"Thank you for dinner," I say sarcastically.

His smile broadens, showing his perfect, white teeth. "There it is, I was wondering how long it would take you," he laughs.

"You broke rule number three," I say stone-faced.

He keeps walking towards me until he's mere inches from me, my eyes eyelevel with his chest. I can see the light dusting of chest hair poking out of the undone button at his collar. He leans down until we are face to face, his sweet breath fans out across my face; it smells of red wine.

"Are you going to punish me?" he whispers seductively, biting his tongue, a mischievous grin tugs at his lips.

I reluctantly take my eyes off his mouth and bring them to his eyes. His pupil's dilate, and his eyes darken until they are black pools of mischief and humor.

"You should only be so lucky," I whisper back in the same tone.

He closes his eyes and groans, when he opens them again they are bright gray and full of humor. "You are killing me, Dr. Steele." He shakes his head.

Before I can respond Nick's voice assaults my ears. "Amy Lynn! Leave that city boy alone and mossy your little butt on over here," he all but shouts from the elevator.

_I am going to kill him, _I think to myself. I close my eyes and feel the embarrassment take over my body.

"Amy Lynn?" Christian asks, confusion etched on his face.

I sigh. "This is why I don't take him anywhere nice," I respond as a way of explaining.

"Well, we should go then," Christian says, poorly hiding the amusement in his voice. We turn and walk to the elevator. Christian puts his hand on the small of my back and the mere touch of his hand awakens every nerve ending in my body and I gasp before I can control myself. I timidly look up at Christian through my lashes, checking to see if he felt it too.

I'm met with is intense gaze. "I feel it too, baby," he says, his voice barely above a whisper and it takes me a few seconds to register that he actually said it. I look back down and allow myself a small smile.

"How long does it take to walk ten feet?" Nick whines playfully, giving me a teasing look.

"Stop!" I mouth at him, slightly annoyed with his behavior. Nick is never going to grow up. He makes a motion of locking his lips and throwing away the key. He let's go of the button as Christian and I step into the elevator. Nick steps back so that I'm standing between him and Christian. The elevator is suddenly full of tension, I feel it rolling of both Nick and Christian; for people who have known each other for all of five minutes they really hate each other.

The elevator ride could not end fast enough, both men are standing to their full height, chests puffed and shoulders raised. I look down at my shoes to keep from looking at either of them. If things are going to work out with Christian he has to get along with Nick, there is no question about it.

Finally after what feels like hours the elevator stops and the doors open. Nick puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me out, leaving Christian to follow behind us. I put my hand on Nicks arm to stop him.

"Can you have them get the car? I'll meet you out there in a few minutes," I ask him, silently begging him to give Christian and I some alone time.

"Okay," he tells me, he turns to leave and as he does he glares at Christian.

"Nice meeting you, Mr. Benson," Christian says with a smug smile on his face as he walks up and puts his hand on my lower back, where Nick's was a few seconds ago.

Nick just nods and walks to the valet. I turn my attention back to Christian. He's looking down at me, his face impassive, but his eyes are wide and scared? This is not what I was expecting.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

My question catches him off guard. "Nothing," he responds dismissively.

"It doesn't seem like nothing. That was a major pissing contest," I joke, trying to lighten the suddenly tense move.

He cracks a smile but it doesn't reach his eyes. What is wrong with him?

"Seriously, Christian, I can tell that something's bothering you. What is it?"

"He's in love with you, and he's a good guy," he sighs, sounding defeated.

"What?" I'm shocked. This is not what I was expecting.

"Can't you see it? The way he looks at you, the way he touches you. He is in love with you. And he seems like a genuinely nice guy. And I'm not..." he drifts off.

Realization washes over me like a tsunami, and I let out a shocked laugh. "Is this what it's about? Nick is not in love with me; we've just been friends for so long. I mean sure I'm sure he has some feelings for me but it's not mutual. You are the one I want; I'm giving you a second chance, not Nick," I say trying to reassure him. I put my hand on his cheek and he relaxes and leans into my touch.

He doesn't say anything, he just gives me the shy, little boy smile that melts my heart and his hand closes around my wrist. He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my palm. The sweet gesture melts my heart. _See, Fifty, you are a good guy_, I think to myself.

"Can I at least kiss you?" he asks hopefully.

"Sure," I tell him, his face lights up. "On the cheek." I turn my head slightly to the left and point to my cheek. I see his face fall and his lips form into a pout, _wow, he really is good looking. Why can't he kiss me again?_

"You are going to be the death of me. But I'll take whatever I can get." He chuckles. He grabs my chin and leans down, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth. Every nerve ending in my body lights up at his touch, it's like I'm being electrocuted; I guess that way they call it a spark. All too soon he pulls away, a grin on his handsome face, his gray eyes dancing with humor.

"That wasn't my cheek," I scold him, playfully narrowing my eyes.

His smile turns smug. He looks like the just stole something and he doesn't care. "Technically it was." His grin widens.

I just shake my head. "I have to go," I say sadly.

"When does Nick leave?" he asks, looking to were Nick is standing as he waits for the Valet to hand him the keys to my car.

"His game is Monday night and he will be leaving Tuesday morning. But he is going to stay at a hotel Sunday night before the game," I tell him.

"So I won't see you until Tuesday?" he asks. He presses his lips into a thin line, obviously not pleased with this.

"Well, you can come to the game. Elliot is coming with me, you can always tag along," I suggest, hopeful that he will accept.

"Okay, are you sure you want me to go? I don't want you to fight with Nick over it," he asks, saying Nicks name like it's a swear word.

"I would love for you to come. You can drive so Elliot and I can drink, so it's all good."

"You are going get drunk at a hockey game?" he asks raising a perfect eyebrow.

"My classiness knows no bounds." I laugh.

"Ana!" Nick calls, honking the horn.

"Well, that's my queue to go," I say.

He leans in and kisses my cheek one more time. Then leans in and whispers, "Goodnight, Kitten, dream of me."


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey everyone! I am soooooooo sooooo soooo sorry! I had the worst writers block ever! I think I rewrote this chapter about 10 times and it still didn't come out the way I wanted it to, but I realize that if I keep stressing over it, it will never be posted. Overall I'm pleased with it, it's a look into Nick and Ana's relationship with a little hint of Christian and a whole lot of funny. After everything I went through to write this chapter I figure it should be a little lighthearted, and I made sure it was a nice long chapter for you guys, with over 5K words it should make up for my absence. The next chapter is well on its way; I don't think I will ever take this long again.**

**I just want to thank all of you for your continued support, your PM's and reviews have really motivated me to write even when it was just to stare at a blank screen for hours; this chapter could not have happened without you! I really love all of you and consider you all friends; I could not ask for better readers, you have made it all worth it. This past year has had its ups and downs and through it all this story has been my rock and so have all of you. Your comments have made me smile and laugh when I was at my lowest and for that I am forever grateful. **

**On a side note, I was really distracted by the show The Fall with the lovely Jamie Dornan. OMG! Ladies you have to check it out. Its dreadfully slow and I had no idea what was going on for most of the time but Jamie is so hot, and evil, and he's so cute with his kids. If you have watched it PM me and let me know what you think. If not get to watching ladies!**

**P.S. I want to wish a Happy Birthday to SuzB! Sorry if it's too early or late but your message made me type double fast. Your comments are always so sweet and I always look for them. Thank you so much for having hope in me and the story, even when I didn't. **

**Lots of Love!**

**-Lily**

I open my eyes lazily, blinking a few times to adjust to the blinding sunlight flooding into my room. I roll over and try to fall back asleep only to be jolted away by a dish falling. I jump up in bed, panic bubbling up in my chest. _Who is in my apartment?_

"Shit!" I hear Nick's deep voice yell. I immediately relax, _oh yeah, Nick is here!_ I think excitedly. Last night is a complete haze; I don't remember anything after leaving the restaurant with Nick. If the pounding headache is any indication we probably cleaned out my liquor cabinet when we got home.

I run my fingers through my hair, trying to untangle the various knots I find. Just as I go to get up, my bedroom door opens and a hungover Nick stumbles in. His curly hair poking out in all directions, no doubt mirroring mine. He's dressed in navy blue sweat pants, his chest bare.

He scratches the back of his neck looking down at me guiltily. "I was trying to make cereal and I broke a bowl. Sorry." He shrugs and climbs into my bed.

He moves the duvet out of the way and rests his head on my pillow, pulling the cover back over his head. I kick him gently. "You're stealing my cover," I whine.

"Your voice is entirely too loud. Can you close the drapes? The light is killing me," he begs, looking up at me through his thick lashes, his eyes almost bloodshot. I sigh and quickly get out of bed, holding the side of the bed after I stand to regain my equilibrium. Once I do I quickly shut the drapes, sweet darkness floods the room and my headache starts to subside.

I turn back to my bed only to see that Nick has moved the duvet and pats the spot I just left. "Get your ass into bed!" he whispers, failing at sounding commanding.

I let out a small giggle, pull the T-shirt I'm wearing farther down my leg and get back into bed, snuggling up against Nick. I slide in facing him and put my head in the crook of his neck. He puts the covers over me then wraps his arms around me.

"How much did we drink last night?" I groan.

"Two bottles of Grey Goose," he whispers against my hair. "Now let's not talk anymore. Just sleep." He pets my head.

"We were supposed to go play tourist today," I say through my yawn.

"Shhh," he breaths.

I snuggle in closer to him and close my eyes again. My head is still pounding but sleep beings to overtake me.

I open my eyes, blinking the sleep away. Nick's heavy arm is pressed against my chest, making it difficult to breath. My throbbing headache seems to have disappeared. I turn my head to face a sleeping Nick. His lips are open, letting out soft snores. His curls flop down on his forehead, a little bit of drool on the corner of his lip. He looks so cute; it would be a shame if someone were to wake him up.

I jump out of the bed and head towards the windows, throwing them open. My room is suddenly flooding with the bright midday light. I rush back into the bed and jump on top of Nick.

"WAKE UP!NICKY WAKE UP!" I scream at him, jumping on top of him.

He jumps up; his eyes snapping open. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he screams at me. He grabs my waist, holding me still. I let out a giggle at the bewildered look in his eyes.

"Good morning, sunshine." I smile down at him.

He groans and flops back down on the pillows. I'm still straddling him, his massive hands around my waist. "Why can't you ever just let me sleep? My head hurts," he whines.

I get off him and walk around to my bedside table, grab my phone and look at the time. "It's 2:30 in the afternoon; we've been in bed all day long!" It's my turn to whine.

He groans again and throws a pillow at me. The pillow bounces of my head and lands on the floor. Shaking my head, I grab some shorts from the dresser and leave my room; slamming the door shut for good measure.

"Fuck!" Nick's muted voice comes from the other side of the door.

I put my hair up in a messy bun as I walk into the kitchen. Once there I open the fridge and stare at the content. _What to eat? What to eat?_ I rummage through the fridge, pulling out container after container, nothing catching my eye. Just as I give up and close the fridge a loud knock on the door catches my attention. _Who could that be?_

I leave the kitchen just as another knock rattles the door. _Shit, Nick is going to freak!_ I think as I rush to the door. "I'm coming!" I yell to keep whoever it is from knocking again. I reach the door and swing it open, only to see Taylor standing outside my door, holding an enormous bouquet of flowers and the first addition books that I gave back yesterday.

"Aww, Taylor, for me? You shouldn't have," I tease, putting my hand over my heart.

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lip, the expression looking out of place on his stoic face. "From Mr. Grey," he clarifies.

I pout in mock heartbreak. "And here I was hoping and praying they would be from you. I've always loved The Bodyguard," I say through my laughter.

I take the flowers away from him, his smile getting wider, and a hint of a blush on his cheeks. "Regretfully I am way too old for you, Dr. Steele," he teases back.

"Age is but a number, my friend." I say as I open the door wider. "Please come in," I tell him. I turn my back and walk towards the kitchen, setting the vase down on the kitchen island.

Taylor follows after me, holding the books in his massive hands. "Where would you like these, Dr. Steele?" he asks me politely.

"Just put them on the counter, and please call me Ana," I tell him.

He sets them on the island and looks around.

"Would you like anything to eat?" I ask, not wanting to be impolite.

He looks at the containers that are scattered all over the counter and raises an eyebrow at me. "It seems to be left over day, so I'm good," he says.

"I could make you something, if they're leaving you hungry at GEH."

"I'm good,Dr. Ste -Ana. The one thing Mr. Grey insists upon is everyone eating," he tells me.

His little detail about Christian pipes my curiosity. "How long have you been working for Christian?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

He smiles at me knowingly. _Crap he sees straight through me_, I think. "About four years. He's a good man, Ana," he tells me, almost reassuringly.

I smile at Taylor, not sure what to say; I feel strangely reassured that Taylor genuinely likes Christian. Taylor reminds me of my father and I suddenly get a ping of sadness; I miss my family, not having seen them in months has been very difficult.

"Who's here, Ana?" Nick asks as he comes out of my room, rubbing his eyes.

Taylor turns towards Nick, a bemused expression on his face. "This is Nick, my childhood friend," I tell Taylor, feeling the need to explain myself. I turn to Nick, "this is Taylor, Christian Grey's bodyguard," I tell him, moving to stand next to Nick.

Nick reaches out to shake Taylor's hand. "Nice to meet you," he tells him.

"Good to meet you, too," Taylor responds shaking Nick's hand. Taylor turns to me and gives me a small smile. "I have to be going; Mr. Grey might have a coronary if I stay too long," he says jokingly.

"I'll walk you out," I tell him. I step away from Nick and walk towards the door.

"Bye, Taylor," I say as he walks out of my apartment.

"Goodbye, Ana," he replies, waving at me. I lock the door and walk back into the kitchen, only to find Nick rummaging through the liquor cabinet.

"What are you doing?" I ask, sitting down on the barstool. I grab my phone and look though my contacts for Christian's number.

"I'm making some Bloody Mary's, this hangover is killing me," he explains getting all the ingredients.

"Make me one, please," I tell him as I press Christian's number.

"Are you calling Mr. Moneybags?" he asks me teasingly. Looking over at the books and flowers. I turn my gaze to the flowers as the phone rings; it's the first time I've looked at them. They are beautiful, a transparent, simple glass vase; full of flowers in all different shades of pink and peach. Hydrangeas, roses and even flowers I don't recognize fill the vase. A little white envelope is tucked into the side. I reach for the envelope just as the phone stops ringing.

A female voice comes through the speaker, shocking me. "Mr. Grey's phone, Andrea speaking."

_Oh it's only his PA, _I think to myself.

"Hello?" she asks.

"Hello, Andrea. Um… is Chris- I mean Mr. Grey available?" I ask, suddenly nervous for some reason.

"He is in a meeting at the moment, can I take a message?" she asks briskly.

"Just let him know that Dr. Steele called," I tell her.

"Dr. Anastasia Steele?" she asks.

"Yes," I answer.

"Please hold on one moment," she tells me.

I hear some rustling on the other side of the line and I take the opportunity to read the note:

_Ana,_

_ Please accept the books again, and hopefully for the last time. Last _

_ Night ended up being one of the best nights of my life. I will try my hardest to _

_ Not mess this up again. _

_ I have spent my whole life trying to avoid feeling any sort of strong feelings but _

_ You bring out feelings in me that are all consuming; you are the only I want more _

_ With and I will prove to you that I can be your more. _

_ -Christian _

_ P.S. Go to dinner with me _

**CPOV**

This meeting seems to drag on and on, and for the first time ever I am not interested in what is going on. Every few minutes I find my thoughts drifting to Ana. It kills me that I don't know what she is doing with that boy. Just thinking of her with him leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Mr. Grey," Andrea's voice brings me out of my reverie.

I turn to face her, relieved at her interruption. The whole room goes quite as she comes to my seat at the head of the table. She crouches down next to my seat, my phone in her hand.

"I have Dr. Steele on the phone for you," she says.

A weird feeling of excitant blooms in my chest and I take the phone out of Andrea's hand. "Hi, baby," I greet her. Every person in the room turns to stare at me wide eyed and gapping mouth.

"Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" she responds, her sweet voice comes through the speakers.

"No, nothing important," I tell her honestly.

"Thank you for the flowers," she says sweetly.

"Did you like them?"

"I love them; they are beautiful. And of course I'll go to dinner with you," she complies.

"Really, Tonight?" I say, trying-and failing-to sound nonchalant.

"What? No! You can't go tonight! What the fuck? This guy knows I'm in town and he's asking you to dinner!" I hear the boys' voice. His voice is cut out by Ana's nervous laughter.

"Hold on one second," Ana's sweet voice comes through the speakers. "I can go out if I want to! Now get back in the kitchen!" She says away from the phone. "Sorry, Nick is a little hungover."

Anger rushes through me. "Are you hungover, too?" I say, my voice is accusatory.

"If I am it's none of your business," she snaps back. I narrow my eyes; there is nothing I want to do more than take her over my knee.

"I was simply asking," I mediate trying to not start a fight.

"Sorry, I did get a little drunk last night; the headache is killing me," she confesses.

I sigh. "So how does dinner sound?" I ask her again, changing the subject before I say something I regret. _See, Ana, for you I'm trying_, I think.

"Well, if I go I'll only be able to go for a couple hours. Nick is only here for a few days and I want to stay with him as much as possible," she explains.

I can't help but feel bile rising in my throat and my chest tightening. "We can go after he leaves," I reassure her; of course she should pick him over me. I ruined every chance I had when I left her.

"No, no. I want to go tonight. Do you want to go for sushi? This new place opened up a few blocks down from Pike Market and I've been dying to try it," she tells me excitedly.

I hate sushi, who the fuck wants to eat raw food? "That sounds fantastic, Dr. Steele. What time shall I pick you up?"

"We can just meet there; I'll text you the address."

"I can pick you up," I insist. I don't want her walking around alone.

"I got it, Christian." Her voice becomes brisk and I can almost see her raise her eyebrow in defiance. I sigh, she is the opposite of everything I'm used. She never listens and it angers me and turns me on like nothing else.

"Okay, I will meet you there at 8:30," I command, not giving her a chance to respond.

"Yes, Sir," she giggles playfully; my cock twitches painfully.

"I will see you then," I mutter.

I hear her intake of breath. "Okay, I will see you then," she breathes, the sound sends shivers down my spine.

"Bye, Anastasia," I breath, her name runs off my tongue.

"See you tonight, Christian," she tells me, her voice breathless.

We both stay on the line, neither of us saying anything. "Hang up," I command.

"You hang up," she insists.

**APOV**

"Hang up!" He commands, his voice full of humor.

"I don't want to," I whisper softly, a blush.

"I have to go back to work, Dr. Steele; hang up!" He laughs.

"You can just as easily hang up," I insist. Before I hear Christian's response the phone is ripped out of my hand.

"For the love of all that is holy! I'll fucking hang up," Nick yells and presses the end button. Slamming my phone on the counter.

"Damn, who pissed in your cheerios?" I laugh.

"I'm already nauseous and all your lovely-dovey shit is not making it any better," he complains, turning on the blender.

I get off the bar stool and walk around to where Nick is standing. Wrapping my arms around his waist I lay my head on his back. "Are you angry with me?" I mutter, resting my chin on his back.

"Kind of, are you really going to go on a date with him?" he asks, I can almost hear him pout.

"Just for about 2 hours. I'm sure there's a game on," I reassure him. "I'll be back before you know it. I'll even bring you some sushi."

He turns around and wraps his hands around my waist, looking down at me, his lips pursed. "Fine, but if you aren't back in two hours I'll come pick you up," he insists.

"Okay, Dad." I roll my eyes. I pull away from him, pushing past him to get to the blender. I pour us each a Bloody Mary and hand him one.

We spend the rest of the afternoon lounging around the apartment catching up. I forgot how much I miss just hanging out with Nick. My last few months in New York were uncomfortable to say the least. Nick walked around on eggshells, just waiting for me to lose it. Then after I moved here I got caught up in work and almost isolated myself from him.

Just lying on the couch with him, makes me feel like normal. There is no stress or baggage; just us.

At around 5 I text Christian the address of the restaurant. I haven't hear from him all day; he's probably busy. After a couple minutes my phone buzzes:

**I can't wait ;) –C**

Did Christian Grey just send me a winky face? I shake my head, a smile plays on my lips.

"What is so funny?" Nick asks.

I show him the text. Nick rolls his eyes.

"Someone is getting laid tonight," he mutters, rolling his eyes.

"I am not sleeping with him." I throw my pillow at him, hitting him square in the face.

"Oh yeah, the rules. Did he suck that bad when you two had sex? Is that why you have this rule?"

"No! It was amazing," I breathe out, fluttering my eyelids.

"Ew! Gross! I don't want to know. Are we going to the bakery or no?" He asks.

"Yeah; I'm just going to go to dinner from there, so let me get dressed," I tell him.

"Aren't you going to shower? You stink," he scrunches up his nose.

"I was planning on it," I snap. I walk out of the room and head for the shower.

I take my time in the shower, making sure to shave my legs and armpits. After I step out I apply my favorite lotion and dry my hair as I wait for the lotion to sink in. Decide to go simple, I do a French brain and wrap a towel around myself. Walking into my closet I stand and scan through my clothes.

How is it that I have so much clothes but nothing to wear? Scanning through my lingerie section and pull out a black, lace, long bustier, and black cheekster panties.

Once I have my underwear on I walk around my closet, pulling out outfit after outfit, but nothing seems to jump out at me. It's a little cold out tonight so I go to my coats and decide to build an outfit around the coat.

I find a beautiful, oversized, maroon, sweater-ish coat, which my mother sent me a few weeks ago. I take it off its hanger and throw it on the carpet. Now for the outfit. I look through my drawers and pull out my favorite pair of holey jeans. Now for a shirt, I need to find one that's a little big. I put on my pants and grab the coat. I find pointed pumps, with cage style straps and gold studs; these will be perfect for the outfit. Now I just need a large, white button down. Nick probably has one.

I walk out of my closet. "Nick! Nick!" I call out. I wait a few minutes, no answer. "Nick!" still no answer. Ugh! This man is going to make me walk!

"I swear to God, you better have a good reason for not answering!" I yell, throwing the door to the guest room open, and march in.

I'm met with the site of a very naked Nick. I stand there staring at him, frozen in shock like a complete idiot, my mouth open in surprise.

"What the fuck, Ana! Knock!" He yells at me, moving his hands to try and unsuccessfully hide his junk, the movement immediately brings my eyes to that area.

My sense come back and I quickly cover my eyes. "Oh my God, oh my God," I repeat as I turn to leave the room, my hands still covering my eyes. Just as I turn I bang my head against the door. "Shit!" I cry out as pain rushes through my nose.

I pull my hands away from my eyes and hold my nose. To my horror I find that the area is wet. I pull my hand away and it's red with blood. "Shit!" I curse, this is the last thing I need.

"Oh my God, Ana, you're bleeding!" Nick shouts and runs towards me, still naked.

"I'm okay, just get your naked ass away from me! Why the fuck are you naked?" I ask. I cup my hand under my nose to catch the blood as I rush to my bathroom. A naked Nick follows behind me.

"I was changing! Why did you just barge into my room?" he snaps back. He holds the bathroom door open for me.

I go up to the sink and start cleaning myself up; thankfully there isn't too much blood. Once I'm all cleaned up I inspect my face to see if there's a bruise or if my nose is broken. By some grace of God there isn't anything but a small bruise on the top of my nose. I grab one of my tampons and some scissors, I cut the tampon into two small pieces and put one in each of my nostrils to stop the bleeding. Once I do I turn my attention back to Nick.

He starts laughing when he sees me. I don't know if it's the awkwardness of the situation or the fact that his laugh is so contagious but I just break down laughing until tears start streaming down my face. "Why are you still naked?" I ask through my laughter.

"I was worried about you!" He pulls a towel off the counter and covers himself.

"Well, your little show caused all of this!" I yell.

Nick looks down, a blush cover's his face. "It's not little, it's just cold in the apartment." He defends himself.

"That is not what I was referring to; but not that we're on the subject-" I wag an eyebrow at him.

"I'm gonna get dressed." He rolls his eyes and stands.

"It's okay, Nicky; it's now about the size of the wand but about the motion of the ocean." I laugh.

"That's not even how the saying goes! Just fucking get dressed!" He snaps. His sudden outburst reminds me of a certain someone I'll be meeting for dinner.

"I need to borrow a shirt." I walk after him.

"Why do you need one of my shirts? I'm like 10 sizes bigger than you," Nick says, stopping in the hall to look at me.

"Apparently not," I tease.

He stares at me impassively. "Really? Really? You are seriously going to do this?"

"I'm sorry, okay no more I swear. Can I borrow a button down?" I plead.

He rolls his eyes and turns back to his room. Once we get in he disappears into the closet and emerges a few minutes later fully clothed with a white button down in his hands. He throws it at me, hitting me in the face with it, obviously still annoyed with me.

"Thank you," I say sweetly, batting my lashes at him. I start to unbutton the shirt.

"It is fucking cold in here, and I'm a grower not a shower! I'm probably bigger than Mr. Money Bags!" he yells at me, running his fingers through is curls.

What he says stops me in my tracks. I look up at him. "Nick, I was joking. I never even looked at it. And this has nothing to do with Christian. Why would you say that?"

He looks me square in the eyes; blue to green. "It's every guy's nightmare that a girl will look at his penis and laugh. Especially when it's you; I mean you look at me like superman and I don't want that to change. Superman doesn't have a tiny dick! I don't want this Christian guy taking my place," he confesses, a small blush playing on his cheeks.

I put the shirt on the bed and walk up to him. "Christian is not going to take you spot! I don't know why you are feeling this way, you didn't with Max. You will always be my best friend. I really like Christian and I do see some sort of future with him, but you will always be my number one guy. He's always going to be second." I wrap my arms around his waist and look up at him; holding his eyes.

He sighs and seems to relax a little. "I don't know why I'm acting like a little bitch. There's just something about the way he looks at you; I think he's in love with you, and you with him."

I snort, "I am not in love with him, and he is certainly not in love with me. I barely know him." _Do I? Nick has never been wrong before, and I do have strong feelings for Christian,_ I shake my head, those are thoughts for a different time.

He rolls his eyes. "If you say so. Just promise me, it's us against the world, no matter what."

"I promise," I breathe. He leans down and kisses the top of my head, lingering a little too long. "I need to get dressed, Enoska and Karina are waiting for us." I push away from him, grab the discarded shirt and put it on, I'm careful the button all the little buttons. Once its closed I roll up the sleeves and tuck it artfully into my pants. I bend down to pick up the shoes I threw on the floor and step into them. "There all done," I tell him

"We match," Nick says as he finish up his hair. He's right, he's wearing dark wash jeans, a white shirt, and a maroon leather jacket that clings to the muscles of his arms. His dirty blond hair is gelled up and combed over to one side. He looks jaggedly handsome.

"Let's go then," I say reaching out my hand.

**So ladies? How was it? Hopefully it was worth the wait, I'm sure all you Nick lovers are doing your happy dance. I really do love him as a character, he is the polar opposite of Christian but still as hot; now I just need to know what to do with poor Nick, because it breaks my heart that Ana is falling for Christian and not him.**

**I love the people that suggest that Ana just chose Nick. Putting him in the story I never thought he would earn such a following, I'm curious as to why you all like him. Please review and let me know why you love Nick, or whether you prefer Christian and why, because I've seen this little back and forth in the comments and I'm curious where most of you stand. **

**I have posted new pictures on the Pinterest so please check it out and as always I welcome any and all suggestions and comments. Please review, fave, follow and check out the Pinterest page, it takes forever to find all the pictures. **

**The next chapter will be Christian and Ana's sushi date and whatever else pops into my head. I will see you very soon ladies! And if I take too long I give you full permission to track me down and force me to write. **

**Hugs and Kisses!**

**-Lily **


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey everyone! I know it's been a while but I'm back with a brand new chapter. Please bear with me; in a few weeks everything will slow down and I will be able to update faster. I really appreciate all of you that have stuck with me; especially now that I'm not updating as often. But I am working on something that you guys will love and I can't wait to finally share it with you!**

**I was really surprised at the reaction I got for the last chapter. Over 50 reviews and they were split right down the middle. Half of you are Team Christian and the others are Team Nick. I have a side but I don't think I should say it. To clarify a few things this is and always will be Christian and Ana story. I just think that Nick adds some incentive for Christian to be better. I really liked your insight on the Christian vs Nick debate even though you all left me more confused than before. **

**Thank you all again for your continued support! Now onto the long awaited chapter. I've also posted some new pictures on Pinterest. Please follow, fav, and review!**

**-Lily**

Karina's bakery is so close that we decide to just walk. The evening air is brisk and refreshing, I cling my jacket closer to my body, thankful to have brought it.

We take our time walking to the bakery; enjoying the fresh air after a day cooped up inside. Before I know it, I see the distinct black and white awning of Karina's bakery, I can almost smell the delicious sweets she makes.

Karina has a bakery in the hipster part of town and it is extremely successful; she's brilliant. With my hand in the crook of his arm Nick and I walk into the bakery, the little bell announces our arrival. The place is practically empty; it tends to be extremely busy in the morning.

Once we step through the doors I take in the cute cozy feel of the café. The floors has a vintage feel with the alternation of light and dark hardwood. The walls are pale pink with a focus wall made of brick with a fire place, the main attraction is the glass display case with tons of beautifully decorated cakes and pastries. My mouth waters at the site.

My attentionn is taken away from the deliciousness by Karina's loud squeal. She rushes out from behind the counter and envelops Nick in a bear hug. "Nick! How've you been?" she asks letting him go.

"I'm good, but apparently you're doing much better. This place is amazing!" he complements, looking around the café.

She grins. "It's pretty great, isn't it?" Excitement and pride evident in her voice. Karina has every reason to be proud. This place is her baby, she spent months renovating the space and even longer getting it. For someone who was flighty and undeceive for most of her life she finally found something she loves.

I get behind the counter and grab myself a piece of cake as Nick and Karina catch up. "Do you guys want any?" I ask I put the strawberry shortcake away.

Karina comes behind the counter and Nick follows after here, standing on the other side of the counter, facing me. "No, but I'll take a bite," he tells me.

I take the fork Karina hands me and dig in. "No! Get your own!" I tell him between bites.

"You look dressed up," Karina comments as she starts wiping down the counter.

"She has a date." Nick wags his eyebrows.

Karina freezes, and turns to look at me, a look of shock on her face; her eyebrows raised. "You have a date? With who?"

"Christian Grey," Nick says bitterly.

"Christian? That guy in your car last weekend?" she asks. Then a few seconds later her mouth falls open. "What that guy was Christian Grey? The billionaire?"

I nod, taking another bite of cake.

"He's a billionaire?" Nick asks shocked. "I mean I assumed he was rich, but I didn't think he was fucking Bill Gates." He shakes his head in shock.

Karina turns to him. "Yeah, he owns the largest company in Seattle. I was so hung over last weekend that I didn't recognize him. Damn it! He's hot though. You sure know how to pick them, Ana." She winks at me.

"Can we not do this?" I plead.

"No! I want the details! How did you two meet? Is this your first date? Where are you eating? Have you kissed yet? Are-"

"Okay, I can't answer that many questions; I'll give you three," I tell her.

Just as I go to take another bite of the cake, Nick steals my plate and the fork out of my hand. "What the fuck? Give that back!" I yell at him, and reach for the plate.

He holds the plate over his head, the counter between us makes it impossible to reach. "You're going to have sushi! You'll get sick if you eat this much cake," he says, moving away and stuffing the rest of the cake in his mouth.

"You can have more cake! God damn it! Just tell me what happened. I bet Enoska knows, you never tell me anything," Karina whines, practically stomping her feet on the ground.

I turn my attention away from Nick, who sits on a chair next to Karina. "She doesn't know yet. The only one that knows is Nick and he doesn't know the full story," I reassure her.

She sighs. "Okay so you have a date with him? Is this your first or have you gone on others?"

Nick sighs and rolls his eyes. "She fucked him!" He says exasperated by Karina's never ending questions.

Karina's eyes grow wide and her mouth falls open. Before she can say anything, though, the door of the bakery flies open and an excited Enoska rushes in.

"I got the job! Holy shit, I got the job!" she screams, frantically running towards us.

I stand there shocked, unsure of whether to pay attention to Enoska, or choke Nick. I decide on the first option; I'm too pretty for prison.

"What job?" I ask when she finally stops jumping up and down. I try to remember if she had spoken about a new job recently and nothing comes to mind.

"You are now looking at the VP of Human Resources for Grey Enterprises Holdings!" She yells.

Nick, Karina, and I stare at each other, all unsure about how to take this news. What is the likeliness that Enoska would get a job working with Christian? Silence falls over us as we are all unsure about what to say.

The first to break the silence is Nick, who breaks down laughing. "This is hilarious! I cannot believe it."

"Oh My God! The irony," Karina adds, her own laughter taking over. I can't help but join them, this situation could not get anymore awkward.

"Why are you all laughing? I worked my butt of to get this job. GEH is one of the most sought after companies in the world. I thought you guys would be happy for me," she says, looking at us, clearly disappointed and hurt by our reaction.

"No we're happy for you! Its just that…Well… Ana fucked your boss," Karina spits out.

"Ros Bailey? You're a lesbian?"

"No, she had sex with Christian Grey!" Nick clarifies.

"You what?! You lost your 'V' card to Christian Grey? When?" She screams.

"It's a long story, which Nick wasn't supposed to tell anyone." I glare at him, and he shrugs it off.

Karina grabs a bottle of wine from under the counter. "When do you have to go on your date?"

"I'm meeting him at 8:30," I tell her.

"It's about 6 o'clock right now, so you have two hours; more than enough time to tell the story," she insists, grabbing four glasses of wine and pouring some into each class. Enoska pulls up a chair and sits on my side of the counter.

"Come on, tell us the story," Enoska insists, and I do. I spend the next two hours filling them in on everything. I have always told my friends everything. These three know all my secrets and I know all of theirs. They are my family and as I tell them everything that has happened over the past few weeks I start to feel less confused. It's like I'm finally letting my friends in again. I didn't realize how much I have isolated them these past couple of months. But now, as I listen to their funny comments and jokes I feel like myself.

"So now we are basically starting over; a fresh start," I finish.

"No sex? Do you really think that would work? Future boss or not, I would let that man do ANYTHING to me," Enoska laughs, taking another sip of wine.

I blush. "He is really good. But after what happened last time I'd rather wait. But it's going to be so hard," I groan.

"I think it's good that you aren't sleeping with him. You don't want to seem easy," Karina says.

"I think you should just never sleep with him again, he can't be trusted," Nick insists.

"I think you're just jealous that Ana didn't sleep with you. So cool it, Puck Head," Enoska spits at him. He just glares at her. Nick and Enoska have never been close, they are always throwing jabs at each other.

I sigh and look down at my phone, its 8:07, I have just enough time to get down to the restaurant. I grab my bag and slid of the seat; thankfully I showed some restrained tonight and only had one glass; unlike Enoska, who drank half the bottle.

"I have to go. Congrats on the new job! I'll visit you Monday. Karina thanks for the mousse, and Nick I'll see you at home. Alone!" I clarify.

"Do you need me to walk you?" Nick asks.

"I'm fine, the sushi place is only a few blocks away; and there are tons of people on the street. I'll be okay," I reassure him.

"Text me when you get there," he insists.

"Okay," I relent and wave at them as I start to head out.

"Bye," they say in unison. I grab the pastry box full of Karina's delicious chocolate mousse cake and head out the door. The cool, early fall breeze feels heavenly against my skin. The streets are buzzing with life as people walk around enjoying the last few days of summer.

The walk from Karina's bakery on 1st ave to Shiro's Sushi is quick and enjoyable. Thankfully the shoes I chose are not too high so I'm comfortable. As I get closer to the restaurant I notice the huge crowd of people outside. I let out a sigh of relief; thankfully I made a reservation.

As I get closer I start scanning the crowd for Christian. My eyes stop scanning when I notice Christian's signature copper hair. He's standing in the middle of the crowd, looking down at his phone. His thumb flying across the keyboard of his Blackberry.

I take a few minutes to admire him. He's dressed very casually in black jeans, a grayish blue button down, and a navy blue sweater over it; he looks particularly yummy, I grin. Just as I start to walk up to him, my phone vibrates in the pocket of my jeans. I reach into my pocket and pull it out only to see a text from Christian.

**I'm here. Where are you? I hope I'm not being stood up :/**

I look up from my phone and shake my head. It's 8:31, I'm a minute late and he's freaking out? This man's need for control knows no bounds. I decide to make him suffer a little.

**Umm…About the sushi…I changed my mind, sorry**

I text back, and quickly look at him; he's looking at his phone, a worried expression on his handsome face. He runs his hand through his hair and sighs; his shoulders slump, a pained look on his face as he looks around for something, or someone. The expression on his face quickly changes to one of relief when he spots me in the crowd, and I give him a small, innocent wave.

Christian shakes his head and narrows his eyes at me. If I didn't know him better I would think he was angry at my joke, but the twinkle of humor in his eyes tells me otherwise.

He struts over to me, walking like a model in a runway; _why can't I be that graceful?_ I think sullenly. I'm taken out of my thoughts when Christian comes to a stop a few feet away from me. He looks down at me, a wide grin plastered on his face and I suddenly become very shy.

"Hi," I say quietly, unable to find my voice for a few seconds. He really is very good looking.

"That wasn't nice, Dr. Steele." He raises his perfectly arched eyebrow, his grin becoming wider.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I say as innocently as I can muster.

"I really thought you were standing me up," he confesses, his smile falters slightly and I get a peek at the shy man underneath Christian's cocky exterior

"I didn't realize you thought so little of me. I would never do that." I say in mock offense.

He pales. "No, no I didn't mean to offend you. I just meant that I would deserve it after what happened. I know you would never do something like that." He holds his hands up, a worried expression on his face.

I laugh. "Christian, I was just kidding."

"Oh." He gives me a blank look. He's so cute. "I'm a little nervous, I've never been on a date before," he confesses.

"No pressure," I mutter to myself. I smile up at Christian. "Well, I'm a little nervous too, but how bad could this be? I have chocolate mousse!" I exclaim, holding up the pastrie box.

"Sushi and chocolate mousse?" Christian scrunches up his nose.

"Do you not like chocolate mousse?" I ask.

"It's not chocolate mousse I don't like," he teases, smiling down at me.

I realize how close he is. It seems that when we are in each other's vicinity we are drawn to each other. "You don't like sushi?" I ask. _Crap! I just assumed he liked it, I'm horrible. _I bite my lip, worried that I have ruined are date before it started.

I'm distracted from my self-scolding when Christian's thumb pulls my bottom lip from between my teeth.

"I am begging you; if you want me to respect the no sex rule, do not bite your lip," he says, his voice low and sultry. _Do I want to respect the no sex rule?_

I let go of my lip and look up apologetically. "Sorry I'm so irresistible." I grin.

"That you are, Ana." He laughs. He wraps his arm around my waist and takes the box from my hand. He leads me into the restaurant, muttering about having to push through hipsters all day.

Once we get inside we walk to the receptionist desk, which is empty.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Christian mutters.

I squeeze his hand. "You really have to learn to be patient," I tell him.

"I'm into instant gratification," he explains with a shrug, a bad boy smile adorns his lips and every muscle south of my waist clenches.

Before I can respond a man walks up to the podium. He looks to be in his mid-twenties. He's tall and thin, his hair is slicked back and he's sporting a hipster beard. The most astounding think about him is his T-shirt. He's wearing a black shirt with "We are the 99%" written on it. It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to laugh.

Christian looks down at me. "This is a joke right?" He whispers in disbelief.

I bite my lips to keep from laughing, and shrug. I look up at the man, whose looking at Christian and I expectantly. Then the look quickly changes to one of realization and he stare, open mouthed at Christian.

"Dude! You're Christian Grey!" He exclaims.

I look back at Christian. "Do you want to go?" I mouth.

He glares at the guy and nods down at me. Christian turns and leads me out the door, without a backward glance at the guy.

The minute we leave the door I break down laughing. "That was the most awkward experience every!" I say between my laughter.

"He was probably going to spit in my food," Christian joins in.

"So what now? Where would you like to go?" I ask.

"Does the $200 rule still stand?" he asks.

"Yup," I confirm.

He thinks for a minute then reaches out to grab my hand. "Let's go," he says, leading me towards downtown.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"It's a surprise; I hope you'll like it." He smiles down at me.

"I'm sure I will. So how was your day?" I ask, genuinely curious as I wrap my arm around the crook of his. I wonder what we look like to the people walking down the street. We probably look like a normal, happy couple.

"It was pretty boring, to be honest. The world of M&amp;A is rarely exciting," he tells me.

"If you find it so boring then why do you do it?"

"The thrill of getting a new company, or making one profitable, there's nothing like it. But most of the time is spent looking at spread sheets and negotiating with lawyers, and of course dealing with incompetent assistants." He rolls his eyes.

"I heard that you're very mean," I tell him.

"Did you now?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, and I was very shocked. I mean you're very nice to me."

"That's because I want to sleep with you," he teases.

I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. "And here I thought you were here for the enticing conversation," I say in mock offense.

He laugh, his voice is music to my ears, and I can't help but feel pride weld up in my chest; I made him laugh. "You certainly are enticing in all ways, Dr. Steele." He compliments.

"Back at you, Grey," I say as he leads me into a small hole in the wall pizza place.

"They have the best pizza outside of Italy," he tells me as he holds the door open. Always the gentleman.

A bell chimes as the door opens and I step into the small restaurant.

"Mr. Grey!" A small woman with a heavy Italian accent screams. "It is so nice seeing you!"

"Hello, Celia," Christians greets her. "This is Dr. Anastasia Steele," he introduces me.

"Hi," I say, smiling at the sweet looking woman. I reach my hand out to shake hers; she completely ignores it though and engulfs me in a motherly hug. It takes a minute for me to react but I hug her back and give Christian a confused look, which he shrugs off.

"It is so nice to finally meet Mr. Grey's girlfriend!" She says excitedly after she lets me go.

A blush colors my face and I look at Christian who looks equally as embarrassed. He opens his mouth to say something and I think he's going to correct her. "I know it's kind of late but I would really like to show Ana what real pizza is supposed to taste like." He throws her one of his all-American boy smiles and she's putty in his hands.

"Anything for you, Mr. Grey. Now sit, sit; I'll bring wine," she says.

"There is no need, Celia, we'll take the pizza to go. I know you are almost closed," Christian tells her.

"Nonsense, you can take the pizza to go but you must have wine!" she insists.

"Just agree, Christian; I don't think she's going to back down." I smile up at him.

He looks down at me and sighs. "Okay, Celia, two glasses of wine. Whatever you have open is fine," he concedes.

Christian puts his hand on the small of my back and an electric current shoots up my spine. The dull buzz is ever present when Christian is around but whenever he touches me it's like fireworks. He gasps and I know by his reaction he feels it too. He leads me to a small wooden table in the corner and pulls a chair out for me. His hand lingers a little too long on my shoulder before he walks around to the other side of the table.

I cross my legs and fold my hands on top of my knee, looking at Christian expectantly, chewing on my bottom lip. _How is this date going to pan out? _

**So how was it? Please let me know what you think. This was more of a transition chapter. Next chapter will be the rest of Christian and Ana's date and we'll see if they follow the rules ;). I really wanted to show how hard Christian is trying to get Ana, even though he's still not sure about himself. I want to show their journey and how they are already connecting with each other. I know how you guys love some Christian and Ana banter! I hope you guys liked it and I'll see you soon!**

**-Lily**


	29. Authors note

**Hello Ladies!**

I cannot apologize enough for my sudden absence. This summer has been extremely hectic with the move to medical school, two jobs and an internship, the start of the school year, and a new relationship that has taken up an embarrassing amount of my time. I just haven't had time to write but things are starting to slow down and I have quite a bit done on the next chapter so hopefully it will be enough to make up for my absence. I am humbled that so many of you have continued to show support. I don't deserve it, especially after leaving you all hanging for 4 months. But I'm working on the next chapter and it will be up by the end of the month so watch out for that. I would never abandon this story, it, and all of you, have gotten me through some of the toughest moments in my life and even if I wanted to I can't let go of this story or you guys I just can't!

Lots of love to all my old readers and welcome aboard to those who have just discovered my crazy, sarcastic, flirty story. We'll have a great time watching Ana and Christian figure their relationship out!

-lily


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